Within months of joining Phillips House 21, clinical nurse specialist Hannah Lyons made an enormous impact on oncology nursing care at Mass General.
Hannah arrived just after the hospital decided to transform Phillips House 21 into an oncology special care unit. The unit had to rapidly expand its oncology nursing practice. Although its nurses were highly experienced in medical nursing, when Hannah started only three were chemotherapy-certified.
Within four months, 15 nurses gained this certification. Hannah led the process, mentoring nurses working toward certification and supporting oncology nurses from Ellison 14, a partner unit in oncology triage and treatment, who voluntarily rotated on Phillips 21 to assist with this challenging transition.
A gifted teacher and clinician, Hannah sets people at ease, even in a critical clinical situation. Her calm, warmth and confidence as well as her expertise helped the Phillips 21 team rapidly gain an entirely new skill set. Soon, all 40 nurses will be certified in chemotherapy, an achievement that has elevated morale while enhancing practice and benefiting patients.
