Doing Nursey Things

Except attending local meetings of organizations representing oncology nursing, and doing continuing education required to maintain my OCN certification, I don’t otherwise do a lot of nursey things on my time off. However, now that I’m an oncology nurse navigator, I feel compelled to get more involved to better serve patients.

Recently, I attended the local Komen Breast Cancer Issues conference. There’s been so many advances in breast cancer treatment since I became a survivor.

A unique feature of this particular conference is that the attendees are a mix of oncology health care providers, breast cancer survivors, and their friends and family. It was the largest gathering in the support of the cure I’ve ever attended.

The keynote speaker was the highlight of the conference: Lillie Shockney, RN, BS, MAS. Patient navigation was created by Dr. Harold Freeman, but Shockney, administrative director of the breast cancer center at Johns Hopkins, is the champion of nurse navigation, and founder the Academy of Oncology Nurse Navigators. While the organization welcomes lay navigators as members, the AONN is dedicated to scientific data supporting patient navigation as a nursing specialty. The author of numerous books, Shockney is also a breast cancer survivor, and I was lucky enough to hear her personal story. Her humor, candor, and authenticity made her an overwhelming success at the conference. At every break, people talked about her, describing which parts of her story most resonated for them.

I briefly met Lillie Shockney at the table where she signed copies of her latest book, Stealing Second Base, about her breast cancer experience. Standing in line with my newly purchased copy, I couldn’t help overhearing the woman in front of me tell Shockney how much she appreciates her work, and listing the multiple times she’d attended her lectures. Pausing, she added, “It sounds like I’m stalking you, but I’m not.”

Every comedian needs a straight man, and this line was too good to let pass. It was my turn. Placing the book on the table for Shockney to sign, I quipped, “I’m a new nurse navigator, and I am stalking you.” She laughed big, and genuine. We talked for a minute or so. She radiates warmth.

Another nursey thing I’m doing: I began reading The Emperor of All Maladies, the Pulitzer-prize winning biography of cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee. I plan to watch Ken Burn’s three-part documentary based on the book, too. Part one airs tonight (Monday) on PBS (check listings for time), and parts two and three air consecutively the next two nights. Answering the questions and concerns of oncology patients requires an awareness of information presented by the media, and I anticipate being asked if I watched.

So, for a little while, it’s all cancer all the time, on and off working hours.

The funny thing is, I’m enjoying the process.