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During Nurses Week 2026, Mayo Clinic celebrates its nurses — advancing innovation while preserving the heart of care
A Mayo Clinic nurse's journey from cancer patient to caregiver has come full circle, shaped by her experience receiving care.
"It looked like a shark bite." That's how Kristin Surdy describes the spot removed from her leg, which began as a smooth, pink mole she noticed last spring while living in Florida. At the time, she was packing to move her family to Rochester, Minnesota, and planned to see a dermatologist after the move. She had experienced multiple bouts of skin cancer before, but did not yet know that this discovery would change both her health and her career.
After arriving in Rochester, Kristin was evaluated at Mayo Clinic and diagnosed with an aggressive melanoma on her shin in June 2025. The stage 2B melanoma was localized but deep, and surgery to remove it was extensive. The cancer had likely been present for some time. She began immunotherapy treatments in September and now receives infusions every three weeks for one year, along with twice-yearly full-body scans. There is no evidence today of cancer recurrence, though she continues follow-up care due to a moderate risk.
From a patient to a bedside nurse
Before her diagnosis, Kristin had spent more than three decades in nursing, primarily in leadership roles focused on hiring, training and operations. She had long considered returning to a role with more direct patient care.
Her experience as a patient helped clarify that decision.
"I was just stunned from day one," Kristin says. "The nurses were kind, empathetic and reassuring. They explained everything to me."
She also remembers the fear of walking into a busy chemotherapy unit for the first time — the sounds of IV pumps, alarms and constant activity. That experience now shapes how she cares for patients, helping her anticipate concerns and ease anxiety from the moment they arrive.
Encouraged by her care team, Kristin applied to join Mayo Clinic. After years of commuting, she was seeking an ambulatory care role closer to home. During treatment, she realized the unit where she received care offered exactly what she had been looking for — direct patient care in a setting she deeply understood. In December 2025, she began working as a bedside nurse — transitioning from leadership back to hands-on care. She now works as a medical oncology nurse on the chemotherapy unit where she was treated.
"It's so rewarding," she says. "There's something meaningful about caring for people in vulnerable moments."
A new 'family' and sense of purpose
Today, Kristin works alongside more than 50 nurses on her unit. Her clinical background and personal experience with cancer allow her to connect with patients and families in a deeply personal way, including sharing that she has faced cancer herself.
"Cancer affects not just the patient but the whole family," she says. "Being able to listen, explain and provide reassurance feels like being the calm in their storm."
Colleagues describe her as an important addition to the team, and patients have taken notice. One patient told her, "You're really a good human." It’s a moment that still moves her to tears.
Kristin says the role has given her a sense of purpose she did not expect. At the end of each day, she returns home to her family with the balance she once hoped to find in her career.
"I've come full circle," she says. "I've become the kind of nurse I once needed."
