Get to Know ONCO: Leanna Edwards, BSN, RN, OCN

ONCO > Get to Know ONCO: Leanna Edwards, BSN, RN, OCN

Get to Know ONCO: Leanna Edwards, BSN, RN, OCN

What is your current role at Onco?

Navigation Product Specialist: I work with existing and future clients to understand their unique workflow when navigating oncology patients and assist to make OncoNav the best navigation platform for them.

Previous Roles/experience

I’ve been an oncology nurse since 2008, delivering patient care at the bedside, as an Oncology Nurse Navigator managing care of patients from all tumor sites from diagnosis through survivorship, and in IT as a clinical analyst with Epic.

Why did you choose Onco?

Of all the roles I’ve held, oncology navigation was the most meaningful to me. I loved really getting to know the patients and their families and being able to help them manage and understand their diagnosis and treatment plan. It was also the most difficult and complex. OncoNav helps make managing those complex patients easier for the navigator. I love being part of such an innovative company that understands those multifaceted patients and issues that navigators care for.

How did you get into this industry?

I lost a cousin to cancer when I was a kid and decided I was going to grow up and cure cancer. Of course, life gets in the way sometimes, and I became a nurse instead. I realized early that I wanted to spend more time and energy on the holistic care of the patient and the families. I’ve never regretted that decision.

How do you feel OncoNav helps the navigators and improves care for the patients?

OncoNav is an all-inclusive program that lets oncology navigators manage patients in one place. There’s no need for spreadsheets, external calendars, or charting in the EMR. We have pre-built templates with scheduled tasks that help guide patient encounters to prevent patients falling through the cracks. We can customize the software to the individual navigation program, so it’s not a one-size-fits-all software program. We also have amazing expert support! OncoNav really takes the pressure off the navigator, so they can focus on the patients.

Did you use OncoNav as a navigator?

Unfortunately, no. We used the EHR, spreadsheets, calendars, paper files, sticky notes, anything we could to track our patients and manage follow up. Everything needed to be built out uniquely in the EHR and the turnaround time for that was not ideal. Often the analyst and navigators didn’t “speak the same language” so communicating our needs was difficult and frustrating.

How could OncoNav have helped your program with those challenges?

OncoNav would have streamlined our processes and standardized our workflows without all the need for all the different tools. The support offered by OncoNav is from Oncology Nurse Navigators who have the ability to connect the dots between navigation needs and IT work.

Personal question- favorite movie

I have so many! I am really a horror/sci-fi/fantasy girl, and Stephen King is my absolute favorite writer. I find that whenever Shawshank Redemption or The Green Mile is on TV, I will tune in regardless of how much I may have missed of that showing 😊