Kristen Daley '08

Our goal is to decrease the incidence of bloodstream infections in our pediatric oncology patients with central venous access devices, I explain with enthusiasm. As I begin to present the plans for a major initiative to improve patient care quality, I take a moment to survey the crowded conference room. I realize, immediately, that I am speaking to a group of 'Healthcare Giants,' leaders in nursing, clinical research, and medicine from such prominent institutions as Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Children?s Hospital, Boston. I pinch myself under the conference room table, take a deep breath, and continue with my presentation. Until recently, I had only dreamed of working closely with such distinguished healthcare professionals, however, as the 2006 Steamboat Scholar, that dream has become a reality.

So what is the Steamboat Scholarship?

In 2003, Andy Walter and Peer Pederson, managing partners of Blue Orchid Capital LLC, created the Steamboat Foundation, a nonprofit organization that recognizes and fosters leadership qualities in outstanding undergraduate students. Their premise was simple. By investing in bright and talented students during the latter years of their undergraduate studies-while they are making the critical career choices that will shape their futures-the Steamboat Scholarship will prepare tomorrow's leaders today. Each year, ten students from universities across the country, including Northeastern University, are selected to participate in this unique Steamboat Scholarship program. Supported with a generous financial grant, these ten "Scholars" are awarded the chance to complete a mentored fellowship working alongside recognized leaders in their field of interest. This is an opportunity seldom presented to undergraduates. As a fourth year nursing student and the Steamboat Scholar from Northeastern University, I spent six months this past summer and fall working as the Pediatric Oncology Nursing Fellow in the Jimmy Fund Clinic at Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

Dana Farber Cancer Institute is a world-renowned institution recognized for its cutting edge clinical and bench research and its comprehensive care of adult and pediatric cancer patients. A unique experience, my work at DFCI has allowed me the opportunity to I began my fellowship at DFCI in early July, and I was elated to learn I would be working closely with Jimmy Fund Clinic Program Manager Susanne Conley RN, MS, CPON.

The Jimmy Fund Clinic, a specialized center within DFCI, partners with Children's Hospital Boston to provide expert, compassionate, and family centered care to children with a variety of cancers and blood disorders. Having worked as a camp counselor with children battling life-threatening illness for several years, I have a particular interest in this nursing specialty.

I began my fellowship at DFCI in early July, and I was elated to learn I would be working closely with Jimmy Fund Clinic Program Manager Susanne Conley RN, MS, CPON. An advanced practice nurse in pediatric oncology, an administrator, a role model, and a true nursing leader, Susanne has served as my primary mentor and preceptor during the six months I have spent working at the institute.

She has played a critical role in shaping what has been such a positive fellowship experience. Over the course of six months, Susanne introduced me to many leaders in clinical care and research at the institute. She invited me to attend many meetings to discuss clinic operations and patient safety, and she presented me the opportunity to shadow staff nurses, nurse practitioners, and physicians as they care for pediatric patients on and off cancer treatment. From the very beginning, however, Susanne sparked my interest in improving patient care quality, a critical area in nursing that became the focus of my fellowship in the Jimmy Fund Clinic at DFCI.

As the Pediatric Oncology Nursing Fellow, I jumped into several ongoing quality improvement projects. I helped to institute the Home Hydration Initiative that will allow children receiving chemotherapy to post-hydrate intravenously at home instead of staying overnight in the hospital. In a collaborative project with nurses from the Jimmy Fund Clinic and Children?s Hospital, Boston, I re-educated the nursing staff on the proper care and management of central venous access devices in an effort to decrease the incidence of associated bloodstream infections in our oncology patient population. In addition to these initiatives, I proposed and implemented my own projects. For instance, I created a "Fever and Neutropenia Survival Kit", a useful tool that will assist healthcare providers in expediting care for children who come into the clinic with fever and neutropenia, which is considered an oncology emergency. I also developed a project that will improve clinic staff compliance with patient identification policies through staff, patient, and family education.

In addition to developing and executing these quality improvement initiatives, I have enjoyed participating in multidisciplinary rounds where I learned about cancer biology, treatment protocols, and symptom management. I shadowed physicians and nurse practitioners in a weekly Brian Tumor Clinic and Perini Survivor Clinic, and I assisted healthcare providers during procedures such as lumbar punctures and bone marrow biopsies. I have also joined the 2007 Dana Farber Marathon Challenge Team, and I will run those famed 26.2 miles in honor of one of the Jimmy Fund Clinic patients this coming April. These experiences have fuelled my passion for caring for sick children, for pediatric oncology nursing, and for working at Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

As you can tell, the Steamboat Scholarship is not your average internship program. This innovative program is an experience like no other. The nine Scholars and I were immersed in an environment that fosters integrity, a strong work ethic, and leadership. Outside of the fellowship experience at DFCI, I had an opportunity to live with the other Steamboat Scholars at Boston College. We traveled nearly every weekend to New York City for private dinners at some of the finest restaurants in Manhattan. At these dinners we had the opportunity to mix and mingle with renowned leaders from a variety of professional fields, most notably Nobel Laureate and brilliant scientist Dr. James Watson and famed educator and television icon Mr. Tim Gunn. We also met with leadership consultant and psychologist Dr. Tom Ink to examine our personal values and morals, weigh the pros and cons of risk taking, and define our goals for the future. One of the highlights of the Steamboat program, however, has been developing such a tightly knit network with the other Scholars, a bond that will translate from this program to the professional world in the years to come.

The Steamboat Scholarship experience-my six-month fellowship at Dana Farber Cancer Institute, the fancy dinners in New York City, and the bonds I have formed with the other Scholars-has been fabulous. I have learned so much about myself as a student, a nurse, and a leader, and I have grown both personally and professionally. I decided to apply for the Steamboat Scholarship with only skeletal knowledge of the program, but the experience has surpassed all of my expectations. I have uncovered more about myself than I ever could have anticipated, and I am beginning to answer many of the questions that have been burning in my mind for so long. What is leadership? What kind of leader do I aspire to be? How will I fit in(or rather stand out) in the professional nursing world? What are my goals for the future? Most of all, however, through this experience, I have discovered my own potential for both leadership and success.

-Kristen Daley, nursing '08