Our chemo compounding area went down for glovebox replacement. This downtime lasted for over a week. Our contingency plan was to have all chemo orders outsourced to Optum who provided patient-specific sterile chemo preparations. We had to submit patient orders to Optum by 12 noon the day prior to scheduled administration. Optum had orders compounded and sent via FedEx to our facility with an ETA of 9 am the following day. Pharmacy requested that consults for chemo orders be placed no later than 11 am the morning prior to the scheduled admin day. Most of the compounds had an extended beyond use date (BUD), but some were limited to 24 hours. For these specific compounds, it was not possible to schedule administration dates on Mondays, due to the order being compounded on a Friday and sent to arrive at the facility on Monday. Monday scheduling for patients receiving these meds had to be rescheduled. Most monoclonal antibodies were still able to be made on-site by us as requested, but during the downtime, these consults had to be entered in early as well- just in case we had to send it to Optum based on immediate use restrictions.

Laura went above and beyond during this time. She reviewed every patient’s chart on the schedule and ensured their labs were drawn and their weight obtained a day in advance. All patients were contacted. She coordinated with our physicians and ensured that chemotherapy orders were placed in advance. If a patient didn’t qualify for treatment due to abnormal labs, chemotherapy was not made and was wasted. This saved our hospital financially as well as confirmed that not one of our patients missed a treatment. She arrived to work early and stayed late every day during this time to ensure that all patients were taken care of. The whole process went smoothly due to Laura’s diligence.

As a charge nurse, she encourages all of her peers and lifts them up. She is an asset to the hematology/oncology/chemotherapy clinic. Her caring and compassion do not go unnoticed. She also serves and is a valued member of the Ethics Committee. She demonstrates excellence through her clinical expertise and compassionate care. She is a role model not only in the chemo clinic but throughout the hospital. Laura Houston is an Extraordinary Nurse and deserves recognition to honor the work she does for our veterans every day.