Gloria Daniels, BSN, RN
Gloria Daniels is a registered nurse working in the Apheresis Department at Fred Hutch Cancer Center (formerly Seattle Cancer Care Alliance).
What is Apheresis?
Apheresis is the process of removing blood from a patient while using a special machine to separate the different components of blood. One or more components are removed to use in treatments or therapies, and the remaining blood and additional fluid are returned to the patient's body, minus the components that were collected. The blood components include red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets, along with plasma. As an apheresis nurse, Gloria focuses on helping patients who are receiving treatment for blood cancers or blood disorders. She also works with patients to collect stem cells from their peripheral blood for transplantation. The apheresis process usually takes two to three hours, but can last as long as six hours, and some patients may need to visit the clinic several times a week. Apheresis nursing is a specialty that requires special training and technical knowledge in transfusion medicine.
"I learn from the patient as much as they learn from me. I can spend time with my patients, get to know them and get to understand what they're going through so I can be there for them."
— Gloria Daniels, BSN, RN
Gloria's Story
Growing up as a child and adolescent in Nigeria, Gloria recognized that health care access and quality was "a major problem." She reflected that, "as a child, I watched plenty of relatives die from illnesses that could have been prevented." Though neither of her parents worked in health care or attended college (her father was a general contractor and her mother a stay-at-home parent), Gloria knew that healthcare was the profession for her. She recalled, "I knew if I had a chance and the means, a profession in healthcare [would] be the field for me." After her mother's death, Gloria felt even more inspired to pursue this career.
Gloria moved from Nigeria to the U.S. at the age of 24, settling in the Seattle area. Reflecting on that time, Gloria shared, "it was both [an] exciting and frightening experience for me. Exciting because I have many opportunities for advancement and growth. Frightening because the support of friends and community was not there." Gloria also recalled, "I had to learn a lot of things like bus routes, grocery stores, laundry machine, societal norms, and so on. Things that were no big deal to everyone around me [were] a big deal for me." Gloria continues to live in Seattle and the things that were once a big deal are not an issue anymore. She said, "I can navigate better, and I am wiser. Seattle is my home away from home."
Educational Pathway
Balancing the demands of both work and school, Gloria worked at Fred Hutch Cancer Center while simultaneously attending college as she achieved different licenses and degrees. Her path toward a career as a registered nurse includes:
- Graduated from Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) program at Renton Technical College
- Worked for two years as a LPN at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance while attending community college
- Graduated with an Associate's Degree in Nursing (ADN) from a Registered Nurse (RN) program at Tacoma Community College
- Worked at Fred Hutch Imaging Department and became a Charge Nurse while attending college
- Achieved a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) from University of Washington - Tacoma
- Worked at Apheresis Department at Fred Hutch Cancer Center
Gloria's dedication to caring for her patients was recognized in 2019 when she was awarded the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses from the DAISY Foundation.
When she's not at work, Gloria enjoys hanging out with her family and "being bossed around" by the family dog. She also enjoys traveling and hiking.
A Typical Day as an Apheresis Nurse
A typical day on the job may involve helping a new patient become oriented to the department and assessing their vein health. Gloria carries out therapeutic apheresis procedures on her patients, including peripheral stem cell collection, plasma exchange, and photopheresis.
Sometimes Gloria assists with special projects, such as participating in an introductory video to teach patients what to expect during apheresis collection as part of Apheresis Education Day 2021.
Since her department is regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), she is responsible for a lot of paperwork and maintaining a high level of accuracy in her work. Gloria reflected, "everything must be double checked, triple checked, i's dotted, t's crossed." While it is important, she noted, "it does take a lot of time which could be spent with patients."
Advice for Students
Gloria's advice for high school students considering nursing? Put together a road map. Gloria noted that since she attended high school in Nigeria and not in the United States, there were a lot of things that she didn't know about how to navigate a path toward college in this country. Gloria suggested, "if health care (Nursing) is something you are interested in, talk to your counselor, talk to the local college to help you put together a road map." She explained, a "road map will keep you focused and save you money from taking unnecessary classes." Gloria also encouraged students to utilize all the resources available to them. "There are plenty of support systems in schools to help you succeed (like writing centers, tutors, etc.), so use them." She also recommended exploring scholarships and grants to help with the cost of training and college.
A great resource for exploring careers in nursing is the Be A Nurse website of the Washington Center for Nursing.
"I've seen different aspects of care, and it's always been positive. Hearing patient's stories and collaborating with the rest of the care team makes me feel fortunate to be here."
— Gloria Daniels, BSN, RN
U.S. Wage Information
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics in 2023, the median wage for registered nurses in the U.S. is $86,060.
Additional Resources
Credit: Thank you to Gloria Daniels for graciously sharing her story. Quotes from Gloria Daniels are from the Fred Hutch Care in Action Report, 2019-2020. Career profile written by Dr. Kristen Clapper Bergsman.