Patricia Hollen
Malvina Yuille Boyd Professor of Oncology NursingCreating 'Life Tools' for Teen Cancer SurvivorsPatricia Hollen (Nursing '67) has developed an educational program to teach teenagers who are survivors of cancer how to make good decisions. That means learning how to say "no" if their friends urge them to smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, or abuse drugs. "In many ways, teenage cancer survivors are typical teens," Professor Hollen said. "They're liable to use poor judgment and they're open to risky behavior. But they're more susceptible to complications from their disease or treatment. Chemotherapy and radiation can affect body organs long after treatment has been completed. For example, teens who've had chemo or radiation to the chest shouldn't be smoking. Risky behavior is riskier for them." So, Ms. Hollen, a registered nurse and the Malvina Yuille Boyd Professor of Oncology Nursing, designed a computer-based curriculum that teaches teenagers how to make good decisions. "We actually teach them decision-making theory," she said. "Essentially, we provide them with 'a life tool.'" The tool is a computer software program with lively graphics designed to capture and hold the teens' attention. "It's a user-friendly method of presenting the information in a way that helps them retain it." The Malvina Yuille Boyd Professorship in Oncology Nursing allowed Jeannette Lancaster, dean of the School of Nursing, to recruit Professor Hollen to the University in 2002. Ms. Hollen believes that receiving the endowed chair attracted the attention of the American Academy of Nursing, which in 2006 elected her a fellow in recognition of her contributions to the field. Malvina Yuille Boyd Professorship in Oncology NursingThe Malvina Yuille Boyd Professorship in Oncology Nursing was established in 2001 with support from Jeannine B. Cowles, the Theresa A. Thomas Memorial Foundation, Judith S. Fox, the David A. Harrison III Fund, and the Ward K. Ensminger Charitable Trust by trustee Virginia G. Shepherd. The professorship provides significant and ongoing support for a distinguished faculty member specializing in nursing research and nursing care of cancer patients. The professorship was the result of a challenge gift made by Jeannine Cowles in memory of her grandmother, a professional nurse who also worked for the School of Nursing for a short period in the 1940s. It also honors one of Mrs. Cowles' sisters, Malvina Yuille Bouchard Hanks. ChairholdersPatricia J. Hollen 2002–present Web Links |