Jennifer Polo
February 2023
Jennifer
Polo
,
BSN, RN, OCN
Cancer Center
Joan Karnell Cancer Center at Pennsylvania Hospital
Philadelphia
,
PA
United States

 

 

 

After learning this information, Jennifer created a visual calendar with colorful icons representing the different appointments the patient was scheduled for.
My colleague Jennifer Polo learned of a patient who was not attending his regularly scheduled oncology appointments. Jennifer consulted with a social worker on our team, who was then able to allow the patient to comfortably and safely share that the reason for the missed visits was due to an inability to read. After learning this information, Jennifer created a visual calendar with colorful icons representing the different appointments the patient was scheduled for. A heart icon, for example, would represent a cardiologist appointment and would be on the calendar date with the specific time. This example of going the extra mile to not only understand what the patient's obstacles were for not attending appts but then also creating a visually friendly tool to overcome these health literacy barriers illustrates what a thorough, dedicated, and patient-centered nurse Jennifer is. She is an inspiration to her colleagues and truly made a difference for this patient and many others.