Patient Navigator Earns Oncology Certified Nurse Designation

Julia Light, RN recently passed the Oncology Certified Nurse Examination

  (Houma, La.) – Julia Light, RN and Patient Navigator at Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center at TGMC recently passed the Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN) Examination administered in December 2012. There are now 30,123 Oncology Certified Nurses at TGMC. These nurses consist of staff nurses, clinicians, educators and managers. Light received her Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing from Prairie View A&M University of Nursing in Houston, Texas. Before coming to Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center at TGMC (MBPCC at TGMC) in 2010, she worked as a charge or senior nurse for Memorial Herman Northwest Hospital and Oncology Consultants in Houston, TX. Light assists patients in understanding their diagnosis, treatment options and the resources available. She serves as an essential link between patients and all other care providers at MBPCC at TGMC. She is also responsible for developing patient education programs and following them through the care continuum including inpatient admissions. The OCN Examination tests the knowledge necessary for the nurse to practice competently at the basic level, within the specialty of adult oncology nursing. The Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation develops, administers and evaluates programs for the certification in oncology nursing. The mission on the ONCC is to promote excellence in patient care and professional practice by validating specialized knowledge in oncology nursing and related specialties.   Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center at TGMC provides the full spectrum of cancer care, from prevention and early detection to diagnosis, treatment, recovery and survivorship for those in the Bayou Region. Its services include chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery, as well as patient navigation, clinical trials and free community screenings. The Center is nationally accredited with commendation and recognized for excellence in cancer care by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer.