NURSING Spotlight Highlights of Excellence WINTER 2019 VOLUME 3 Community Involvement Sobha Akkar Czarina Patrico Sobha Akkar, BSN, RN, and her husband City of Hope participated give their time and resources freely to local in the KKLA Pasadena senior citizens in their area. The Akkars teach Health Fair on Jan. 26, them how to cook healthy meals and help them 2019, which was held at the with stress management by teaching them yoga Pasadena First Church of and pranayama deep breathing exercises. They the Nazarene in Pasadena, pick them up and take them home, as well California. City of Hope as plan outings for the whole group to go on. booths provided free They have created a beautiful community for prostate cancer screening, senior citizens. Her community service isn’t BMI screening and Czarina Patrico, limited to only her home space because she Sobha Akkar, BSN, RN pulmonary function testing. BSN, RN doesn’t compartmentalize her life. She spreads Czarina Patricio, BSN, this gift of healing on the floor with the nurses around her, teaching us RN, volunteered on blood test/blood draw for PSA stress management techniques. Her healing, holistic nature is a part of who testing at the prostate cancer screening booth. It was she is, and she shares that with all those around her. She also works with her an opportunity to represent City of Hope and give husband to support their 20 adopted children and help run an orphanage information on the need for early detection of prostate back in her home county of India. Sobha and her husband travel every cancer through a free health screening. other month to India to visit all of their adopted children, provide them with support physically, emotionally and spiritually. They donate of their Theresa McCormick, BSN, RN, time, money, resources, and give so much love. Sobha truly is such an CNOR, (center) pictured with a plastic exemplary role model of what it means to live in service of others — surgeon (left) and anesthesiologist (right), not only at work, but also in her personal life. both from South Africa — Melanie Sanchez Theresa McCormick Theresa McCormick, BSN, RN, CNOR, is a wonderful nurse, always dedicated to helping others. Recently, she volunteered to go on a mission to Morocco with Operation Smile as part of a surgical team to treat children with cleft lip and palate. Her kindness and dedication have changed the life of hundreds of children and their families for the better. I want to recognize her because I think nurses like her inspire and motivate the new generation of nurses. — Viviana L. Flores, BSN, RN, CNOR 1 | NURSING SPOTLIGHT CNO CORNER Professional Extraordinary Nurses Development at City of Hope Elizabeth King Merriam-Webster defines Elizabeth King, FNP, RN, AOCNP, AGN, extraordinary as “going senior manager of Cancer Risk Counseling and beyond what is usual, nurse practitioner, spoke as part of a panel on regular or customary; case presentations and discussion entitled “Nurse Practitioner Perspective” at the American exceptional to a very Society of Clinical Oncology, Annual Meeting marked extent.” Pre-Conference Genetics and Genomics How often have you heard Seminar, 2019. a nurse being praised and their response was “Just doing my job.” Chantal Kerr As oncology nurses at I would like to highlight my colleague, City of Hope, I am not Chantal Kerr for passing her FNP exam in sure that we ourselves April 2019. Chantal is a nurse who has been recognize that what we do working at City of Hope for over 20 years every day is indeed truly and her dedication and compassion are to be admired. As an individual, she is helpful and extraordinary. Yes, we always has a smile for everyone. administer chemotherapy. We reinfuse stem cells. We assist in some of the most complex surgeries. We recognize early — Carmen Santamaria, MSN, RN, PHN signs of side effects and toxicities. But we do it all with heart, compassion, empathy and skill. As International Society of City of Hope nurses, we go above and beyond the practicing of tasks – we hold the patient’s or family’s hand. Geriatric Oncology We maintain a positive attitude; we care for dying patients and send others home, free of disease, on a daily basis. Leana Chien, MSN, NP, Carolina Uranga, Much of what makes nurses here extraordinary may be quite MSN, CNS, OCN, GCN, AGCNS-BC and subtle or even invisible to others. From the book “you’ll Artis Riviera, MHA, were featured online by know you’re a nurse when…” comes a story that I think the International Society of Geriatric Oncology on the use of Bedside Mobility Assessment sort of defines that extraordinary — “you’re the only one on Tool (BMAT) to assess and increase mobility rounds who knows the name of a child’s imaginary friend in hospitalized older adults with cancer. They and that the intern is about to sit on him.” argued that functional decline and loss of muscle mass related to hospitalization could be decreased In this issue of the newsletter, we are highlighting some by increasing mobility. They reviewed electronic of our extraordinary nurses who go above and beyond; medical records and assessed the BMAT, from their volunteerism to excellence in care, from lifelong functional status, mobility (feet ambulated), learning to collaboration, to being there for our patients. length of stay (LOS) and falls in hospitalized older adults with cancer over a 10-month period. In my view all City of Hope nurses are truly extraordinary. Findings from EMR (electronic medical record) data for this period suggests increased mobility, decreased falls, increased functional status at Susan J. Brown, time of discharge, and unchanged LOS. These PhD, MSN, RN are interesting and promising results, suggesting Senior Vice President of that the implementation of BMAT during older Patient Care Services adults’ hospitalization for cancer has a positive and Chief Nursing Officer impact on functional status and decreases falls. Furthermore, the BMAT was found to be a feasible and promising nurse-led intervention to assess patient mobility and keep patients active. Nursing Spotlight, a new nursing publication, is brought to you by the Nursing Excellence Council. Interested in spotlighting your unit or department achievements? Please contact: [email protected]. 2 | NURSING SPOTLIGHT City of Hope Quarterly Newsletter Second Quarter: April - June 2019 City of Hope Quarterly Newsletter Second Quarter: April - June 2019 The Spirit of Caring City of Hope Quarterly Newsletter Second Quarter: April - June 2019 It’s time for our annual Nurse Pampering Day honoring the amazing heroes in The Amini and Clinical Research Units! The first part of the event was held on July 8, with part two coming up on July 19. We are honored to show all our love to these incredible women and men who so tirelessly give of themselves to so many! “Amy was amazing She showed up at my door at one of my lowest momentsLinda Tibi, in myRN, gets cancer journey. With some aromatherapy and a hand massage, she had me relaxedpampered byand a Lipstick feeling angel. Two of the Lipstick Angels PatientEvangeline Testimonial Bustos, BSN, RN, and better. Then she taught me how to use anAnnelyn eyebrow Ovid,It’s time BSN, stencil for RN, our OCN, annualand BMTCN really NurseIt’s Pampering turned time for our my Day annual dayhonoring Nurse the Pampering amazing Day heroes honoring in The the Amini amazing and heroesClinical in Research The Amini Units! and Clinical Research Units! 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With some and aromatherapy a hand massage, and ashe hand had massage, me relaxed she hadand mefeeling relaxed and feeling Patients and Caregivers Reached in 2019 better. Then she taught me how to use an eyebrow stencil and really turned my day The first part of the better.event was heldThen on July she 8, followed taughtaround. by a mesecond Amy how day wasonto July use truly19. an myeyebrow Angel stencilfrom heaven.” and really turned my day The Angels showed their love for these incredible women and men who so tirelesslyaround. Amy was truly my Angel from heaven.” 480 give of themselves to so many! 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