CHRISTINE M. LEONARD
Green Valley,AZ
Summary
Highly skilled registered nurse with 30 plus years of clinical experience in medical oncology. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Strong patient and family advocate. Solid knowledge of chemotherapy agents, immunotherapy agents, phase 1 protocol agents, and their toxicities. Competent in telemetry monitoring. Extensive experience in managing complicated multi-system side effects of chemotherapy and cancer itself. Highly experienced in peripheral IV placement, as well as, accessing and managing various types of central lines.
Overview
36
36
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Lead Nurse
Arizona Oncology/Tucson Medical Center Cancer Clinic
04.2024 - Current
- Responsible for the management and operational oversight of a 13-chair infusion room.
- Direct daily clinical operations, ensuring smooth patient flow and adherence to treatment protocols.
- Collaborate closely with interdisciplinary teams including physicians, pharmacists, and support staff to deliver comprehensive care to oncology patients.
- Supervise and mentor nursing staff, providing guidance on patient care and professional development.
- Implement quality improvement initiatives to enhance patient safety, satisfaction, and clinical outcomes.
- Maintain regulatory compliance and uphold standards of practice in infusion therapy.
- Utilize strong leadership and communication skills to foster a collaborative and supportive work environment.
- Continuously evaluate and optimize clinic processes to improve efficiency and patient experience.
Clinical Nurse Lead
ARIZONA BLOOD AND CANCER SPECIALISTS
11.2021 - 04.2024
- Nurse lead of clinical staff in the Green Valley office of a hematology and oncology practice, which include nurses, medical assistants, and pharmacy technicians.
- Manages and supports smooth flow of a twenty chair infusion room.
- Facilitates ongoing communication between nurses, pharmacy, and providers to ensure safe and compassionate care to patients.
- Collaborates with administrative staff on patient schedules.
- Coordinates medical assistant staffing with the Lead MA, to ensure timely and seamless rooming of patients for providers.
- Manages payroll, PTO, and everyday staffing of the clinic.
- Administers chemotherapy/immunotherapy, effectively communicates with nursing and providers to provide exceptional care for patients.
Infusion Nurse
BANNER/ UNIVERSITY of ARIZONA CANCER CENTER
11.2020 - 10.2021
- Infusion nurse in a dynamic oncology clinic, specializing in chemotherapy administration for all types of cancer diagnoses.
- Provides a comprehensive physical and emotional assessment for each patient.
- Effectively collaborates with multidisciplinary team members to ensure each patient has a comprehensive plan, in which all needs are addressed.
- Provides clinical assistance to colleagues on float days which ensures smooth flow of patients in clinic area.
Nurse in Charge
DANA FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE
11.2011 - 10.2020
- Manages the daily patient flow of 10 exam rooms, 28 infusion chairs, and three procedure rooms, which perform bone marrow biopsies with IV conscious sedation.
- Assists nurses and providers with the management and transfer of critically ill patients to the emergency room at Brigham and Women’s hospital.
- Acts as a resource for troubleshooting protocols and provides hands-on support and assistance to infusion nurses.
- Creates nurse’s schedules for the following day, following the primary nursing model, while ensuring safe staffing.
- DFCI Code Team member. Responds to institute-wide adult medical emergencies daily.
- Infusion Nurse 2011-2018
- Infusion nurse in a 28 chair/bed unit in the adult oncology clinic specializing in sarcoma, melanoma, Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia, immuno-oncology, and Phase 1/ first in human clinical trials of all disease groups.
- Cares for patients enrolled in Phase I, II, and III clinical trials which include study drug administration, pharmacokinetic blood collections, and monitoring patients for potential life-threatening toxicities.
- Effectively communicates with multidisciplinary staff members to provide a high standard of care for patients actively undergoing treatment, and for those transitioning to hospice care.
- Continuously educates patients in managing side effects of therapy, and proficiently assesses patients for any subtle or adverse condition changes.
Staff Nurse
BRIGHAM AND WOMEN’S HOSPITAL
02.1997 - 11.2011
- Nurse in charge of an intermediate care, ten-bed, medical oncology unit.
- Duties included staffing management in accordance with patient acuity, liaison between management and staff and acting as primary resource for all nurses working, while managing a patient assignment.
- Coordinated and collaborated with staff in plan of care for primary and associate patients.
- Administered chemotherapy via central/peripheral access, including vesicant agents, and monitored for potential side effects.
- Effectively utilized nursing assessment skills to manage and care for critically ill cancer patients.
Staff Nurse
DANA FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE
07.1990 - 02.1997
- Inpatient staff nurse on a 16 bed general medical oncology unit.
- Provided care to oncology patients, both with solid tumor and hematological cancers, as well as bone marrow transplant patients.
- Collaborated with interdisciplinary team members to provide comprehensive care while inpatient, and ensured all patient discharge needs were met.
Staff Nurse
DANA FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE
01.1990 - 01.1997
- Inpatient staff nurse on a 16 bed general medical oncology unit.
- Provided care to oncology patients, both with solid tumor and hematological cancers.
- Bone marrow transplant patients.
- Collaborated with interdisciplinary team members to provide comprehensive care while inpatient, and ensured all patient discharge needs were met.
Education
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
University of Massachusetts at Boston
01.1990
Skills
- Ethical practice
- Care coordination
- Compassionate care
- Clinical leadership
Certification
- Board Examination, 1990
- State of Arizona Registered Nurse License 946305 Active 08/13/2020
- Commonwealth of Massachusetts Registered Nurse License 194451 1990-2022
- ACLS Certified for 12 years. Expires 2022.
Affiliations
- Massachusetts Nursing Association
- Sigma Theta Tau
- Oncology Nursing Society
- University of Massachusetts Alumni Association Board of Directors
Professional Development
- Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Fall Prevention committee member., Primary nurse committee member., USP 800 committee member.
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Clinical investigator of noise reduction study on inpatient oncology units. Study published in Oncology Nursing Forum, 2007., Recipient of Partners in Excellence Award for assisting in developing a resource guide that was utilized by new nurses throughout Brigham and Women's Hospital., Collaborated with staff education at BWH and DFCI regarding Phase 1 inpatient protocol institution.
- Dana Farber Cancer Institute Inpatient Hospital, Nursing Grand Rounds participant and speaker. Topics included 'Palliative Care' and 'Care of the Patient Receiving N-901 Blocked Ricin'., Quality Assurance Committee Member., Preceptor for new nurse hires., Assisted in developing a new nursing flow sheet to facilitate documentation., Assisted in developing a prospective patient activity tool facilitating staffing projections.
Personal Information
- ID Type: State of Arizona Registered Nurse License
- ID Number: 946305
Timeline
Lead Nurse
Arizona Oncology/Tucson Medical Center Cancer Clinic
04.2024 - Current
Clinical Nurse Lead
ARIZONA BLOOD AND CANCER SPECIALISTS
11.2021 - 04.2024
Infusion Nurse
BANNER/ UNIVERSITY of ARIZONA CANCER CENTER
11.2020 - 10.2021
Nurse in Charge
DANA FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE
11.2011 - 10.2020
Staff Nurse
BRIGHAM AND WOMEN’S HOSPITAL
02.1997 - 11.2011
Staff Nurse
DANA FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE
07.1990 - 02.1997
Staff Nurse
DANA FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE
01.1990 - 01.1997
Bachelor of Science - Nursing
University of Massachusetts at Boston