Nurse Helps Patients Through Education and Cancer Care Protocols

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

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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