Job Title: RN Coordinator Gynecology/Oncology
Organization: Arizona Cancer Center
Education: Cochise College Associate’s Degree RN, Northern Arizona University BSN
"I started my career as an LPN at a Nursing home while I completed my Associate Degree RN at Cochise College in Sierra Vista, AZ. From there, I moved to Flagstaff and attended Northern Arizona University RN-BSN program. I worked nights on the Rehab unit at Flagstaff Medical Center so I could attend school full time and pay my way. I had hoped to become an ER nurse or possibly a flight nurse, but that dream never came to fruition. After completion of my BSN, I transitioned over to med/surg oncology by default. I enjoyed the complexity of the science behind the chemotherapy. I enjoyed learning medicine and acute nursing assessment skills with medical surgical/oncology patients. The healing, and relationships with patients that came from cancer treatment was fulfilling. Cancer care became my niche. I came to Tucson as a traveling nurse at UMC on the Bone Marrow Transplant/oncology unit. A truly miraculous revelation with cancer cures. I learned how hard people fight. I learned how a positive outlook and well being can make or break outcomes of cancer treatments. I learned how to care for the dying and their families and how much peace it gave me to be able to comfort them. I spent 5 years in total on the BMT unit.
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I took a short travel nurse assignment to Aurora, Colorado and then to El Paso, Texas to be with my grandma while she went through her cancer treatment. I returned to Tucson UMC BMT unit, found the love of my life, got married and had babies. I transitioned to outpatient RN Coordinator with the gynecologic oncology group. I have been with this team for the past 15 years. In Gyn/oncology our care is unique in that our physicians are surgeons and oncologists in one provider. As nurses we support our physicians and patients pre op, post surgical, ostomy care, wound care, and chemotherapy education, side effects and triage. We journey with our patients from diagnosis, through surgery, recovery, and treatment, and sometimes to hospice care. We build relationships with strong amazing women and their families. I truly enjoy what I do and enjoy the team I work with. I am constantly learning new and innovative ways in which we approach and treat gyn cancers through chemotherapy and surgery; as well as prevention and clinical trials."
