My Life as a Nurse Kathleen Gamblin, RN, BSN, OCN Coordinator, Oncology Patient Navigation Program Northside Hospital Cancer Institute, Atlanta, Georgia

My Life as a Nurse: The Beginning Planning is important. Never underestimate how important this step is. Do not rely on your instincts. Use your data The answer to this question tells you how widespread cancer is in your community and who are the people that you need to reach. You want to look at statistics for your area, cancer cases and deaths, how these numbers have changed over time. It is helpful if they are broken down by age, sex, race, ethnicity . You can then use this information to focus your outreach on the types of cancer that affect your community the most. Our health system area is large and in our urban area we focus heavily on prostrate screening, while in one of more rural areas we focus more on lung cancer. Some of the following resources are helpful in in finding cancer data for your area: Local Cancer Control Plan United States Cancer Statistics State Cancer Profiles State Cancer Facts State Cancer Registry State and Local Health Departments Local Chapters of National Cancer Organizations (ACS) What Cancer Prevention Resources Are Available Know what Medical, Educational and Social Service Programs exist in your community Refer people to services. They are more likely to change their behavior if they know how to find the help that they need Learn about other outreach efforts going on the community. Look for ways to partner with other organizations. See how you can work together. Get to know leaders within the cancer prevention community to get the word out To find out more about cancer prevention services in your area, stay up to date on what local organizations are doing, social media is very helpful in this respect. Find out what low cost CDC funded screening services are available in your community (National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program helps woman get screenedin all 50 States, District of Columbia, 5 territiories and 12 tribal communities. Colorectal Cancer Control Program helps men and women aged 50-64 get screened for colorectal cancer in 25 states and 4 tribal communities. What can people do to prevent cancer? - Helps you udnerstatnd what people in our community can do to proctect themselves from cancer. It asks you t

My Life as a Nurse: Nursing School Lehigh Community College Two Year Nursing Degree Two Years for Pre-Requisites Acceptance into Program Two Years for Nursing Courses Degree R.N. Nurse in Hospital, Dr.’s Office Charge Nurse Messiah College Four Year Nursing Degree One and Half Year Prerequisites Two and Half Years Nursing Classes Degree RN, BSN Nurse Manager Nurse Educator I was really raring to go out and do what I could," he recalls, "but this was somewhat of a shock to me -- having been trained to do all this cancer work, and then I'm facing late-stage cancer that is too late for me to be effective technically.”-Harold Freeman

My Life as a Nurse: Nursing School Classes Nursing 3 Hour Classes 2X Weekly 3 Hour Lab 1X Weekly 1-2 Days of Clinical Weekly Important Subjects from Middle and High School I was really raring to go out and do what I could," he recalls, "but this was somewhat of a shock to me -- having been trained to do all this cancer work, and then I'm facing late-stage cancer that is too late for me to be effective technically.”-Harold Freeman

My Life as a Nurse: First Job Gulf Coast Hospital Medical Floor Step-down ICU Surgery/Oncology Unit What Technical Skills Did I Learn Breath Sounds with Stethoscope IV Insertion NG Tube Insertion What Other Skills Did I Learn How to Listen How to Ask Open Ended Questions How To Sit With Someone Who is Dying I was really raring to go out and do what I could," he recalls, "but this was somewhat of a shock to me -- having been trained to do all this cancer work, and then I'm facing late-stage cancer that is too late for me to be effective technically.”-Harold Freeman

My Life as a Nurse: Military Commissioned Officer Training Montgomery, Alabama 4 Week Course Travis Air Force Base, California Air Mobility Command Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico Air Force Material Command Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio Air Material Command I was really raring to go out and do what I could," he recalls, "but this was somewhat of a shock to me -- having been trained to do all this cancer work, and then I'm facing late-stage cancer that is too late for me to be effective technically.”-Harold Freeman

My Life as a Nurse: Oncology Oncology is Study of Cancer Normal Cell has Growth, Division and Death Cancer Cell has Growth and Division, 0 Death Cancer is Treated By: Surgery Radiation Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy I was really raring to go out and do what I could," he recalls, "but this was somewhat of a shock to me -- having been trained to do all this cancer work, and then I'm facing late-stage cancer that is too late for me to be effective technically.”-Harold Freeman

My Life as a Nurse: Oncology Oncology Nurses Work in Many Settings Hospital Unit Infusion Center Radiation Center Physician Offices Outpatient Setting Oncology Nurse Navigation Cancer Is a Maze Oncology Nurse Navigator Navigates Patients and Families Through Maze Education Barriers to Care Listening Ear I was really raring to go out and do what I could," he recalls, "but this was somewhat of a shock to me -- having been trained to do all this cancer work, and then I'm facing late-stage cancer that is too late for me to be effective technically.”-Harold Freeman

My Life as a Nurse: Manager, Educator Author and Consultant Manage Navigation Program at Northside Hospital Cancer Institute 14 Oncology Nurse Navigators 13 Cancer Care Liaison Responsible for Strategic Planning and Operations Educator/Speaker Teach Other Nurses How to be Oncology Nurse Navigators Speak at National Conventions Author/Editor Oncology Nurse Navigation: Delivering Patient Centered Care Across the Continuum Case Scenarios in Oncology Nurse Navigation Consultant Develop Navigation Programs for Other Hospitals I was really raring to go out and do what I could," he recalls, "but this was somewhat of a shock to me -- having been trained to do all this cancer work, and then I'm facing late-stage cancer that is too late for me to be effective technically.”-Harold Freeman

“Being a nurse isn’t about grades, it’s about being who we are “Being a nurse isn’t about grades, it’s about being who we are. No book can teach you how to cry with a patient. No class can teach you how to tell their family that their parents have died or are dying. No professor can teach you how to find dignity in giving someone a bed bath. A nurse is not about the pills or the charting. It’s about being able to love people when they are at their weakest moments.” Planning is important. Never underestimate how important this step is. Do not rely on your instincts. Use your data The answer to this question tells you how widespread cancer is in your community and who are the people that you need to reach. You want to look at statistics for your area, cancer cases and deaths, how these numbers have changed over time. It is helpful if they are broken down by age, sex, race, ethnicity . You can then use this information to focus your outreach on the types of cancer that affect your community the most. Our health system area is large and in our urban area we focus heavily on prostrate screening, while in one of more rural areas we focus more on lung cancer. Some of the following resources are helpful in in finding cancer data for your area: Local Cancer Control Plan United States Cancer Statistics State Cancer Profiles State Cancer Facts State Cancer Registry State and Local Health Departments Local Chapters of National Cancer Organizations (ACS) What Cancer Prevention Resources Are Available Know what Medical, Educational and Social Service Programs exist in your community Refer people to services. They are more likely to change their behavior if they know how to find the help that they need Learn about other outreach efforts going on the community. Look for ways to partner with other organizations. See how you can work together. Get to know leaders within the cancer prevention community to get the word out To find out more about cancer prevention services in your area, stay up to date on what local organizations are doing, social media is very helpful in this respect. Find out what low cost CDC funded screening services are available in your community (National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program helps woman get screenedin all 50 States, District of Columbia, 5 territiories and 12 tribal communities. Colorectal Cancer Control Program helps men and women aged 50-64 get screened for colorectal cancer in 25 states and 4 tribal communities. What can people do to prevent cancer? - Helps you udnerstatnd what people in our community can do to proctect themselves from cancer. It asks you t

People will forget what you said, they will forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel! Maya Angelou Planning is important. Never underestimate how important this step is. Do not rely on your instincts. Use your data The answer to this question tells you how widespread cancer is in your community and who are the people that you need to reach. You want to look at statistics for your area, cancer cases and deaths, how these numbers have changed over time. It is helpful if they are broken down by age, sex, race, ethnicity . You can then use this information to focus your outreach on the types of cancer that affect your community the most. Our health system area is large and in our urban area we focus heavily on prostrate screening, while in one of more rural areas we focus more on lung cancer. Some of the following resources are helpful in in finding cancer data for your area: Local Cancer Control Plan United States Cancer Statistics State Cancer Profiles State Cancer Facts State Cancer Registry State and Local Health Departments Local Chapters of National Cancer Organizations (ACS) What Cancer Prevention Resources Are Available Know what Medical, Educational and Social Service Programs exist in your community Refer people to services. They are more likely to change their behavior if they know how to find the help that they need Learn about other outreach efforts going on the community. Look for ways to partner with other organizations. See how you can work together. Get to know leaders within the cancer prevention community to get the word out To find out more about cancer prevention services in your area, stay up to date on what local organizations are doing, social media is very helpful in this respect. Find out what low cost CDC funded screening services are available in your community (National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program helps woman get screenedin all 50 States, District of Columbia, 5 territiories and 12 tribal communities. Colorectal Cancer Control Program helps men and women aged 50-64 get screened for colorectal cancer in 25 states and 4 tribal communities. What can people do to prevent cancer? - Helps you udnerstatnd what people in our community can do to proctect themselves from cancer. It asks you t