Dr. Nancy Lin

Oncology nurse Megan English makes it a point to support all of her patients to the best of her ability while being mindful of their best interests. 

Megan English, RN, BSN, is an experienced oncology infusion nurse at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. She has been incredibly devoted to the care of oncology patients. I work with her to care for patients with all stages of breast cancer. She is incredibly kind and compassionate with patients and has excellent clinical judgment.

She is great with communication with patients, their families and with the larger oncology treatment team so that everyone is on the same page. She makes sure to either walk over to talk in person, or to send a quick email to the patient's oncologist and advanced practice provider (APP), depending on the situation, so that there are no miscommunications and so that the patient voice is heard, and she follows up to make sure issues are resolved.

Her care has been instrumental in managing many challenging clinical situations, where she always has the patient's best interests at heart. She has developed long-term relationships with patients, especially those with metastatic breast cancer, who frequently are treated for many years and who form very close bonds with Megan over time.

She has been an important sounding board for patients and their families when it comes to side effect assessment and management, but equally, she has often been critical in helping to guide patients as they make difficult decisions, such as transition to end-of-life care. Her patients absolutely adore her, and many request her specifically when they book future infusion appointments.

As a testament to the enduring impact she has on patients, she has been awarded the Dana-Farber Daisy Award, which is given to nurses who have exhibited skillful and compassionate care for their patients.

Additionally, as part of a Salute to Nurses that was organized by the Boston Globe, one of her patients wrote, "Megan has been with me through my four-year cancer journey. She knows all my anxiety triggers and quirks, and how to distract me from them. I feel so at ease knowing she will be taking care of me. Even though my doctor moved to the Chestnut Hill location, I still go to the Yawkey Center for Cancer Care just to have treatments with Megan as my nurse. She’s kind, compassionate, funny, and the best nurse anyone could have. I’m so thankful for her care and friendship."

Megan English, RN, exemplifies what it means to be an oncology nurse. She has been a critical member of the nursing team at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for 10 years, specializing in the care of patients with breast cancer. As an infusion nurse, she is tasked with helping patients in their most vulnerable moments: starting a new chemotherapy regimen, managing a hypersensitivity reaction, coping with bad news they just received from their provider and the list goes on. She does all of this and more with compassion, grace and empathy.

She is a champion of primary nursing, emphasizing continuity of care and responsibility acceptance for her patients. She remains extremely balanced in her approach to advocating for the needs of all patients in a thoughtful and lighthearted way.

Megan not only soothes patients’ experience, but she is also a liaison to other staff in the breast oncology department. Almost immediately after joining Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, she embraced more leadership roles in our infusion unit as charge nurse, triage nurse and preceptor for new staff. She mentors new nurses without criticism or judgment, hoping to instill in every nurse her ideal of patient-centered care.

She also has a level of rapport with physicians and APPs in the breast oncology department that is unmatched. She helps to orient new providers to the infusion unit, sharing with them the critical role that infusion nursing plays in the shared care of our patients. In this way, she has become the “go-to” nurse on our unit for providers to discuss patient issues, workflow logistics or tackle systemic needs. She participates in working groups to build relationships among team members. She is thoughtful in her questions and her tone.

Megan is a cherished and invaluable member of our team. I would be hard-pressed to find anyone who disagreed and would be devastated if our opportunity to work together ended.

For more news on cancer updates, research and education, don’t forget to 

Articles

Megan English, RN, BSN, is a dedicated oncology infusion nurse at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, specializing in breast cancer care. Her exceptional communication skills ensure seamless coordination among patients, families, and the oncology team. Megan's compassionate care and clinical acumen have been pivotal in managing complex clinical situations, fostering long-term patient relationships, and guiding patients through difficult decisions. Recognized with the Dana-Farber Daisy Award, she is also a leader within the infusion unit, mentoring new nurses and collaborating with physicians to enhance patient-centered care.

Two colleagues of an oncology nurse highlight her utmost respect for patients and as a liaison to the greater team.

A Compassionate and Collaborative Oncology Infusion Nurse 

From left: MARGARET CAMPBELL, B.S.N., RN, and DR. NANCY LIN

Margaret Campbell, B.S.N., RN, has worked as a research nurse in the breast oncology program at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for almost two decades. During this time, she has cared for countless patients on numerous clinical trials. 

I call her a “quiet hero” because she is not the person presenting the trial data from the podium, she is frequently not listed in the authorship of manuscripts and she does not get the credit or glory when new trial treatments are shown to benefit patients and enter into the standard of care. But her incredible dedication to her patients and her ability to balance patient obligations with the demands of the trials allow these clinical trials to be completed and new advances to be made.

She has cared for patients in multiple practice-changing clinical trials, including trials testing the combination of paclitaxel and (Herceptin [trastuzumab]) in early HER2-positive breast cancer, trials testing Tukysa (tucatinib) in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer, trials testing Trodelvy (sacituzumab) in triple-negative and ER-positive breast cancer, trials testing Enhertu (trastuzumab deruxtecan) in HER2-positive or HER2-low metastatic breast cancer, multiple immunotherapy trials, and more. She has expertly cared for patients with early-stage breast cancer, inflammatory breast cancer and metastatic breast cancer.

At our institution, research nurses play many roles, including working with oncologists to identify potential clinical trials for patients, assessing for clinical trial eligibility, reviewing consent documents with the patient, working with research schedulers to coordinate the complex choreography of tests and treatments, evaluating patient symptoms and treatment- related toxicities, assisting in the documentation of side effects and, most importantly, serving as a resource to patients. 

From a patient perspective, research nurses are the “face of the clinical trial,” as they patiently answer questions, guide patients through complex schedules and help manage symptoms. Margaret provides reassurance and comfort to trial participants, and they know they are being cared for compassionately and meticulously.

I have witnessed how Margaret always goes above and beyond in communicating with patients and delivering outstanding clinical care. She takes extra care to make sure that all trial requirements are met, while also asking patients about other commitments (vacations, graduations, weddings) so that the scheduling can be adjusted to accommodate important events in patients’ lives. She advocates for her patients in ways big and small. In short, she cares for the whole person. Trial participants develop deep connections with her, and some still ask about her years after they have completed a clinical trial. 

In addition, because research nurses support many oncologists, any one research nurse might see more patients receiving a specific trial treatment than any one oncologist. Research nurses are often our “eyes and ears” in terms of unexpected toxicities or initial signs of benefit, and she certainly has also excelled in this regard. Finally, I just love working with Margaret.

I could not be more thrilled about the opportunity to write this nomination letter for Margaret Campbell in appreciation for her nearly two decades of service to patients with breast cancer on clinical trials. Research nursing has become only more complex and more demand- ing over time, and I am beyond appreciative that she has chosen to dedicate her career to clinical research. Not only have her own patients benefited, but so many patients in the United States and around the world have access to better treatments due to her contributions.

Not only have Margaret Campbell's, own patients benefited from her dedication, but so many patients in the United States and around the world have access to better treatments due to her contributions.

Dr. Nancy Lin

A Compassionate and Collaborative Oncology Infusion Nurse

A Quiet Hero for Patients With Cancer

Latest News