The Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences has its first Flynn Fellow. TCU Nursing senior Ellie Coffey was recognized by the Flynn Foundation for her participation in the Susan D. Flynn Oncology Nursing Fellowship program at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Coffey spent 10 weeks learning from oncology experts, developing her practical and clinical knowledge, and researching neurotoxicity screening in patients receiving CAR-T cell therapy.
“This Fellowship was truly a life-changing experience,” Coffey said. “It gave me an incredible glimpse into the world of pediatric oncology nursing and brought me one step closer to my dream of becoming an oncology nurse.”
Coffey was inspired to enter nursing because of her mother, a pediatric nurse.
“I’m so grateful for the opportunity to care for some of the strongest, bravest kiddos fighting cancer,” she said. “It was an experience I’ll never forget.”
The fellowship is designed to foster the development of aspiring oncology nurses by providing them with clinical exposure to oncology specialties, clinical research, palliative care and other best practices in the field. Students also attend educational “lunch and learn” sessions where they hear from oncology experts. At the end of the fellowship, participants present an evidence-based practice project that utilizes the knowledge gained to make recommendations for improving oncology nursing.
Coffey’s final project, Neurooxicity Screening Post CAR-T Cell Therapy, investigated the question, “In pediatric oncology patients receiving CAR T-cell therapy, what screening tools are most effective in reducing the severity of neurotoxicity associated with Immune Effector Cell-Associated Neurotoxicity Syndrome (ICANS)?” In her literature review, she recommended continuing use of the existing scoring measures and advocated for additional research to develop better screening tools tailored to patients’ specific characteristics.
“It was a pleasure to have your impressive student, Ellie Coffey, in our Pediatric Oncology Nursing Fellowship program this summer at CHOP,” Fred Flynn, founder and president of the Flynn Foundation, wrote in a note to Harris College faculty. “We were all impressed with her knowledge, skills and potential as a future oncology nurse. Ellie is a wonderful role model for our fellowship program and a tribute to your nursing school.”