BFMC Oncology Nurses Achieve 100{06cf2b9696b159f874511d23dbc893eb1ac83014175ed30550cfff22781411e5} in National Certification

GREENFIELD — With the recent certification of Sarah Cyhowski, all nurses in Baystate Franklin Medical Center’s Oncology Department are now nationally certified in oncology nursing.

“Our goal is to continue to have 100{06cf2b9696b159f874511d23dbc893eb1ac83014175ed30550cfff22781411e5} of our nurses certified, said Reanne Burke, oncology nurse manager. “Any nurse entering this department is committed to being specialty-trained and certified in oncology nursing within 30 months of employment.”

Certification requirements include two years of specialty practice experience, demonstrated knowledge of the latest research, and evidence of core technical competencies. Nurses then sit for a rigorous examination. “The preparation is intense,” Burke explained.

The commitment of Baystate Franklin Medical Center’s oncology nurses to clinical and service excellence is further evident from the awards they have earned recently.

“Our department was the first among Massachusetts community hospitals of our size to be accredited with commendation by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer,” Burke noted. In 2008, the ACOS accreditation was renewed for another three years. This year, the department also received a five-star award for excellence in overall quality from Professional Research Consultants, the national firm that conducts BFMC’s patient satisfaction surveys for oncology.