PROGRAM BACKGROUND

In the loving memory of his wife Susan D. Flynn, who died of ovarian cancer in 2013, and out of respect for the wonderful quality of nursing care she received during her illness, her husband Fred created the Susan D. Flynn Oncology Nursing Fellowship Program to help stimulate the career interest and foster the professional development of potential Oncology Nurses. The program, which was modeled after the Carol A. Ghiloni Oncology Nursing Fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital which Fred co-sponsors, is available to rising seniors at several leading undergraduate nursing schools. The Fellowship provides aspiring nurses with a comprehensive clinical exposure to oncology nursing plus exposure to "best practices" and expert training in compassionate care. Opportunities to attend various pertinent internal educational programs and meetings with key hospital staff members provide additional learning experiences for the Fellows.

In 2014 this Fellowship Program was successfully “piloted” with Greenwich Hospital, Stamford Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Wentworth-Douglass Hospital. Several additional leading cancer care hospitals have since been added as program partners. The total number of student nurse participants has expanded from 13 Fellows in 2014 to 32 Flynn Fellows in 2018, primarily reflecting the addition of a new Pediatric Oncology Nursing Program track with four leading Pediatric Hospitals. A listing of all participating hospitals and nursing schools in 2018 is included PROGRAMS section. Over time, the goal is to expand this program nationally.