Mollee is our Oncology nurse navigator in Omak Oncology and Infusion. While her job title is 'nurse navigator' Mollee wears a lot of hats which help our Omak Oncology keep giving the best patient care possible.
A nurse navigator is defined by Academy of Oncology Nursing Society as "a medical professional whose clinical expertise and training guides patients and their caregivers to make informed decisions, collaborating with the multi-disciplinary team to allow for timely cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment and increased supportive care across the cancer continuum". In layman's terms, nurse navigators guide patients through the healthcare system to overcome barriers. Oncology navigation requires knowledge, skill, good clinical judgment but also a passion for these special patients to help them overcome issues so that they could receive optimal care. Mollee exemplifies this and so much more.
Other than routine nurse navigation duties of navigating the patient through cancer care, including providing chemo teaches; Mollee wears several other hats. She helps schedule patients for outreach provider visits as well as for Omak infusion, does port a cath lab draws and helps the providers as they see the patients. Mollee is known to be a 'quiet steady fighter' for all patients of Omak Oncology. Recently, a patient called Omak Oncology insisting that he did not want to come in for his Lupron injection as "VA had dropped him". Despite a lot of explanation that the patient needed this injection, the patient was steadfast in not coming in for the injection. Mollee gave him a day and then called him again to ask if she figured a way would he consider coming in, the patient assented. Mollee called the VA, spent quite a long time and found a way for patient's Lupron injection to be covered. The patient came in for the treatment and was very appreciative of all Mollee's efforts on his behalf.
Omak serves many patients who do not have adequate resources in their daily lives. One of the patients Omak Oncology has been taking care of is a Stage IV Breast cancer patient with metastasis all over. The patient has unreliable family members and is dependent on friends and acquaintances to drive her to Omak Clinic for her treatments. The patient was declining over the years and Mollee made it a habit to be on the lookout for the patient when it was her appointment time. Mollee would go out to the parking lot to make sure the patient had support to ambulate inside the clinic. Recently, when she went to the car to bring the patient in, Mollee found that the patient had difficulty breathing. Mollee quickly called for the help of our Oncology MA and together they did vital signs and found that the patient needed to go to ER to get assessed. The patient was very reluctant to go to ER, however, Mollee convinced her in her loving way and the patient ended up in ER which helped take care of her medical acute issues. Recently, the patient entered Hospice and Mollee has been regularly calling her to offer support and troubleshoot any barriers the patient may be experiencing.
A patient's debit card was charged by a drug company without the patient's consent. Mollee called the patient and patient was distraught over the charges. Mollee called the drug company and disputed the charges on the patient's behalf which ultimately were removed from the card.
The stories like these can go on and on, however, the bottom line is Mollee will fight for her patients in every way possible. From the time she clocks in to the time she clocks out, Mollee is constantly working on providing the best patient care possible. Whether being on the phone with them or sitting in the waiting room with an anxious patient before the appointment, Mollee is an example of how an extraordinary nurse should be. Every workday she makes a significant difference in Omak Oncology patients' lives while providing the best, empathetic care. She is an outstanding role model and a true DAISY Nurse.