I graduated from San Jose State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing in 1996, became a licensed Registered Nurse in 1987. I was a staff nurse on a medical floor and became an AIDS RN Specialist. I also worked with Caremark Home Infusion with a specialty in HIV/Cancer care. I have been OCN Certified since 1997 and in 2014 obtained a Master of Science in Nursing with an emphasis in Education. I am an active participant in the ONS Communities, acting as one of 2 champions for the Oral Adherence Community.
I have worked for the Oncology Department at Palo Alto Medical Foundation (now part of Sutter Health) for 25 years. I have had many roles within the department including Infusion RN, Infusion Charge RN, and Practice (back office) RN. For the last 8 years, I have been specialized as an Oral Chemotherapy Nurse Navigator, working with all patients of six Oncologists on oral chemotherapy. I have developed an oral chemotherapy program that incorporates prescription processing, patient and staff education, and continued adherence/toxicity monitoring for all patients during their course of treatment.
On a personal note, my husband was diagnosed in 2006 with GIST. He was treated with several oral chemotherapy medications during the last 1.5 years of his life. Our experiences with the lack of support we received related to oral chemotherapy had a great influence on me. I have since endeavored to ensure that all patients on oral chemotherapy receive the same quality care that patients who are treated with other types of chemotherapy receive. I strive to provide education to nurses about the intricacies of oral chemotherapy to help them to continue providing quality care to patients on oral chemotherapy.