Flynn Fellows Presentations Featured at ONS Annual Conference
Several Flynn Fellows participated in the 2023 Oncology Nursing Society’s prestigious annual conference April 26-30 in San Antonio, TX.
Emma Chestnut, a 2022 Flynn Fellow at Wentworth Hospital from St. Anselm College, presented her ‘evidence-based practice’ research project on “Speaking to Patients with Prostate Cancer: Are We Meeting the Need?” Her abstract addressed the need for improved communications of the symptoms of prostate cancer—the most common cancer diagnosis among men—and the importance of clear educational tools to enable patients to better understand their treatment options.
Maura Kenny, a Radiation Oncology Nurse at Hartford Hospital (a 2016 Flynn Fellow at Hartford Hospital from UCONN), presented “Bridging Gaps & Standardizing Care Among Head & Neck Cancer Patients Receiving Radiation”. Her abstract discussed the various initiatives she developed to help bridge the gap between inpatient and outpatient services and improve care for head and neck cancer patients receiving radiation. [Note: co-author was Nicole Marcelino.]
Amy Kaiser, a Pediatric Oncology Nurse at Duke University Hospital (a 2019 Flynn Fellow at CHOP from the University of Scranton), “pinch hit” for Katherine Ellis (a 2022 Flynn Fellow at Wentworth Hospital from St. Anselm College) who was unable to attend. She presented Katie’s Poster on “Emotional Medicine: The Unseen Work of Nurses as a Result of the COVID-19 Pandemic.”
Amy, who has been instrumental in developing our program partnership with ONS, including our ‘inaugural’ Flynn Fellows’ research project presentations at this leading national conference, said, “Attending ONS Congress exposed me to the diverse roles nurses have influencing cancer advancements, including research, innovation, leadership and direct patient care. The various lectures, breakout sessions, and networking opportunities made me feel more connected to the profession and inspired me to grow further in my career as an Oncology Nurse.”
The Flynn Foundation is the nation’s largest privately-funded Oncology Nursing development program. Our mission is to attract, inspire, and help professionally develop the next generation of Oncology Nurses, with the overarching goal of improving the future quality of care for cancer patients and their families. Since 2014, 300 aspiring nurses have participated in our unique summer Fellowship program and of the 250 in the workforce so far, over 165 Flynn Fellows are already working as Oncology Nurses.
