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Treatment Clinic Nurses Receive Certification from the
Oncology Nursing Society
Karen Coombe, RN; Karen Thimble, RN; Jennifer Pyle, RN; Karen Lynch, RN; and Tracy Carafeno, RN.
100% of the nurses in the Yale Cancer Center’s Gynecologic/Oncology Treatment Clinic recently received certification from the Oncology Nursing Society. The Oncology Nursing Society is a professional organization of over 37,000 registered nurses and other healthcare providers dedicated to excellence in patient care, education, research, and administration in oncology nursing. It is the largest professional oncology association in the world.
The nurses that received certification are Karen Coombe, RN, Karen Thimble, RN, Jennifer Pyle, RN, and Karen Lynch, RN, under the leadership of Tracy Carafeno, RN, patient service manager of the Gynecologic/Oncology Unit. Their clinic sees over 720 patients a year, and the nurses are responsible for administering chemotherapy to patients.
In order to receive certification from the Oncology Nursing Society, nurses must meet or exceed requirements for practice in cancer care, complete education in oncology nursing, and have a tested knowledge of the specialty. It requires commitment and hard work, but signifies a caregiver that is qualified beyond the required minimum, and has a greater knowledge of patient care.
“100% certification is something that our clinic has been working towards, and it was a great moment once all of the nurses were certified,” said Carafeno. “As oncology nurses specializing in gynecologic oncology, it was especially challenging for them because they had to study all cancers, cancers they don’t deal with on a daily basis. However, this only serves to further increase their breadth of knowledge and patient care.”
The nurses commented on the sense of accomplishment they felt upon completing the requirements for certification, both personally and professionally. They provided each other with support during the long hours of studying, and held review sessions. Receiving certification from the Oncology Nursing Society is a huge accomplishment that requires commitment and skill; something the nurses of the Gynecologic/Oncology Treatment Clinic have proven they have.