Mary Jane LaRoche
2003-2004 NEF Awardee
My name is Mary Jane LaRoche and I have just completed my first semester in graduate school at the University Of Colorado Health Science Center School Of Nursing pursuing a degree as a clinical nurse specialist in the field of oncology nursing. I received my bachelor of science in nursing from the University of Arizona in Tucson in 1985. I have practiced nursing since then in Georgia, Louisiana, Texas and Colorado. I became interested in oncology nursing working with hematology/oncology and bone marrow transplant patients at Emory University in Atlanta, and the majority of my practice since then has been in oncology nursing. I have, however, worked in the community setting with general medical patients including pediatrics, in a neurological ICU, telemetry, orthopedics, private medical oncology office and inpatient oncology, infusion clinic, hospice and radiation oncology. Last year I did consulting work as a medical writer for the first time and am gaining some experience and a healthy respect for research as a novice research assistant.
I am currently employed at University of Colorado Hospital on the 8East oncology inpatient floor working a weekend plan. I am an oncology certified nurse (OCN) and very active in the local chapter of the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS), the Metro Denver ONS. I support oncology nursing and have derived much benefit from my professional organization, which I hope to share through MDONS. I have been instrumental in creating email/fax lists, a chapter web site and the chapter virtual community link to ONS to enhance communication in our local chapter.
A nursing career has worked well with family life. I married my husband Bill while in my last year of nursing school and we have three children, William is 16, Caroline is 14 and Bobby is 11. We have two very naughty beagles, Jessie and Daisy Mae. As a family we enjoy skiing, (the kids snowboard), camping, and hanging around the house. I am continually trying to find that balance between family, work and school. It is exciting to be back at school after all these years and I am thankful for the scholarship assistance provided by the Nurses Educational Fund that has facilitated my return to school.
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