At City of Hope, Anna is known as a doer—whether she is speaking at a symposium, decorating for Halloween, or mentoring a new nurse, she brings a cheerful attitude and stellar problem-solving acumen to all of her many endeavors.
City of Hope is a major research center, but there have only been four principal investigators who are also frontline clinical nurses. Anna is one of them. And because clinical nurses have specific expertise and insight into what should be studied, this part of her work is critical.
Anna is the principal investigator on a current study to compare the effectiveness of two different kinds of crash carts used to respond to pediatric emergencies. Not only did she turn this high-stakes question into an approved study, she also thought creatively about how to gather the data necessary. She learned that one option was to hold a City of Hope pediatric care symposium, which nurses could attend for continuing education and where she could recruit for her study. So she collaborated with a clinical educator to design a day-long event with expert speakers as well as fun door prize gifts and decorations—and study recruitment. In other words, Anna improved nursing practice, built community and gathered data for her study all in one go. That’s the kind of creativity and initiative Anna brings to her work every day.
Anna reaches out across disciplines and never lets obstacles deter her. When she needed supplies for a professional development course she was designing, she reached out to the chief of pediatrics for support. The two quickly established an unusual—and productive—partnership, working together to support the nursing staff. As a leader in her unit-based council, she mentors new nurses, proposes new ideas, and shares her infectious energy and positivity.