This Oncology Nurse Manager Cares for Every Cancer Patient Like Family

For Jen Christensen, RN, BSN, MSN, CDCES, an oncology nurse manager at City of Hope Orange County, memories of her patient "Jane" evoke powerful emotions. Jane was a young mother of three small children who had breast cancer and met Christensen during chemotherapy. About the same age, the two women talked about life and their families, and Christensen often asked how Jane was really doing with the fatigue and other effects of treatment. When Jane rang the bell with her family by her side, Christensen was thrilled. Sadly, a few months later, the cancer returned and Jane unexpectedly died one morning.

Having seen Jane just the day before, Christensen was shaken. "It was a reminder why we have to be compassionate and empathetic and give each other grace, because life is full of the unexpected," she says.

Christensen is keenly empathetic to the difficulties her patients face as they navigate cancer. She focuses on helping each one through that next procedure or lab test and understanding where they are physically, mentally and emotionally from diagnosis through survivorship. When a patient rings the bell, she celebrates alongside them. When she loses a patient, she carries them in her heart.

Caring for patients as if they were her own family is at the heart of Christensen's calling as a nurse. She was deeply affected as a child watching her parents grieve the death of a young family friend from cancer. As she grew older and lost an uncle and then other family members to cancer, she realized that everyone is touched by the disease. She saw how cancer affects a patient's way of life, their job and their families, including grandchildren, children, sisters and brothers.

Christensen went on to receive degrees in philosophy and applied science and entered a pre-med and then a nursing program. She loved the breadth of knowledge required for nursing and the one-on-one care involved. She has since earned a master's degree in nursing leadership.

Christensen joined City of Hope Orange County in 2020 to help open a new program and transitioned to City of Hope Orange County Lennar Foundation Cancer Center ahead of its August 2022 opening, becoming a nurse supervisor within a year.

As a multi-specialty outpatient oncology nurse, Christensen is both an experienced clinician and a natural leader. "I want to be the nurse that people are happy to see, and the leader my team is happy to see," she says. Oncology nursing, Christensen believes, is a career that combines heart and mind. She consistently keeps up with the latest cancer research and follows evidence-based practices so that patients benefit from the very best knowledge, protection and care.

"You have to be up to date, you have to have integrity and accountability and know what you're doing is the right thing for your patient," Christensen says. "It's having that knowledge and the wherewithal to protect your patients while treating them like they're your loved ones."

As a respected manager, Christensen embodies servant leadership. She leads by example and supports her team of nurses as they support each other. "It means I'm not afraid to do the same things I would ask of my team and not afraid to do it with the same mindset of compassion and understanding for patients that I expect them to deliver," she says. Since last August, Christensen has helped onboard 30 new staff members at City of Hope Orange County's academic research campus, instilling City of Hope's mission, vision and values while working tirelessly to advance nursing excellence.

Christensen's commitment to the highest standards of oncology nursing, the individualized and holistic care she provides her patients, and her exceptional team leadership make her an invaluable asset to the patients and staff of City of Hope Orange County — and represent everything it means to be an extraordinary healer.

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