Erin Longstreth-Papsun, M.S.N., RN, OCN

From left: ERIN LONGSTRETH-PAPSUN, M.S.N., RN, OCN, and REBECCA FARRELL, M.S.N., RN, AG-CNS

I would like to nominate Rebecca Farrell, M.S.N., RN, AG-CNS, for the Extraordinary Healer® Award. 

Rebecca has been at Fox Chase Cancer Center for only three years, but in that time she has accomplished so much more than one could ever imagine. I have worked in many roles at Fox Chase Cancer Center and have had amazing leaders. Rebecca has always put the staff, the hospital and the patients far ahead of herself. She has a heart like no other.

She is dedicated to the growth of the ambulatory care off-campus teams and instills these values in each of her staff members as well. She encourages everyone to push themselves to achieve professional development and helps them on every step of the way.

Through this past year, it has been most challenging for all of us with COVID-19 and telehealth changes, all of which put a new spin on the way we conduct clinics. She has worked tirelessly to make this process run like a well-oiled machine. She championed the rollout of the Zoom telehealth platform for the entire institution and shouldered this monumental task, all while continuing with her day-to-day expectations on the job.

She has always made the team feel good about coming to work and supports them when they may be having a rough day, when things are going great and along every road in between. 

She is a highly respected member within the care team and is the ultimate interdisciplinary collaborator. Patient care and patient and staff safety are always her top concerns. It is my pleasure to nominate Rebecca Farrell for this award.

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Articles

A nurse worked tirelessly throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that her unit was running like a well-oiled machine.

An Oncology Nurse With a Heart Like No Other

I enthusiastically nominate Christine Amoroso, B.S.N., RN, OCN, for the Extraordinary Healer® Award. 

From left: ERIN LONGSTRETH-PAPSUN, M.S.N., RN, OCN, and CHRISTINE AMOROSO, B.S.N., RN, OCN

Chris has been a proud Fox Chase Cancer Center nurse since May 1987. Currently, Chris works in the urologic oncology unit as our full-time procedure nurse. 

Approximately one year ago, our physicians ordered intrarenal BCG to be administered to a patient. The urology nurses had never administered BCG directly into the kidney, so Chris approached me for guidance. Chris was provided with several recommendations on how to proceed, so she began the process of creating a new protocol for intrarenal medication instillation here at Fox Chase.

Chris performed a thorough literature search and created an impressive table of evidence. She collaborated frequently with the pharmacy specialists and me to put that evidence into practice. Chris also partnered with the clinical nurse specialists to determine what supplies were needed and to propose safe drip rates in order to prevent damage to the kidney. 

Once all of the evidence, information and recommendations were gathered, we sat down to write the official protocol. Two weeks later, our first patient successfully and safely received an intrarenal BCG treatment.

During the literature search, Chris and I were unable to locate a published protocol or standard for intrarenal medication instillation. In order to share this work with others, Chris submitted an abstract to the Oncology Nurses Society (ONS) for the 2021 ONS Congress. The abstract was accepted, and Chris recorded a video of her presentation, which was viewed at ONS Congress in April 2021.

Chris is always the first to learn something new and then share that information with others. When she transitioned to her current role, she reviewed and updated many of our patient education documents as well as nursing standards. She is in the process of creating case cards for each provider so all staff know what each provider wants or needs for their procedures.

Her enthusiasm is contagious and inspires others to do great things. She helps orient all new staff and prepares them for independent practice once their orientation ends. She is a mentor to Jennifer Occhipinti, B.S.N., RN, teaching her every aspect of the BCG and chemotherapy clinics in urology. They have an ongoing mentoring relationship, which is good because the volume of patients in need of this treatment is increasing weekly. Jennifer is proficient in this clinic because of Chris.

Please accept this nomination for Chris Amoroso, who is very deserving of the Extraordinary Healer® Award.

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Christine Amoroso, B.S.N., RN, OCN, figured out the best way to deliver direct-to-kidney treatment for her patients. 

Erin Longstreth-Papsun, M.S.N., RN, OCN

An Oncology Nurse With a Heart Like No Other

Nurse Helps Patients Through Education and Cancer Care Protocols

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