About Kristen

Hometown:
Medfield, MA

University Partner:
Northeastern University

Degree:
B.S. Nursing, 2008

Grant Partner:
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Senior Mentor:
Susanne Conley, Program Manager, Jimmy Fund Clinic

"The Steamboat experience is not your average internship program. It surpassed all of my expectations. I've uncovered more about myself as a student, a nurse and a leader than I ever could have anticipated, and I've discovered my own potential for both leadership and success."

Scholar Background

A recipient of Northeastern University’s highly competitive, merit-based Presidential Scholarship, Kristen is a member of Sigma Theta Tau, the international nursing honor society. She participates in the Co-op education program at Northeastern, alternating periods of classroom learning with practice-based training at Boston’s top medical centers. Over five years at Northeastern, Kristen first worked at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in the Acute Surgical/Trauma and Radiology Units, then the Jimmy Fund Clinic at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and finally at the Surgical ICU at Massachusetts General Hospital. Both her personal and professional experiences have fueled her passion for the care of sick children. Through her involvement with the National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation, Kristen often speaks to new parents of children with albinism about her own experiences with the condition. She has also served as a camp counselor at Camp Sunshine, a retreat for children with life-threatening illness and their families. As a finish line volunteer during the Boston Marathon for two consecutive years, Kristen attended the race in April 2007, this time as a participant and a member of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge Team. Kristen completed her second marathon in Chicago in October 2007 on behalf of Children’s Memorial Hospital. In 2007, Kristen received the Co-op Student of the Year Award, one of 20 students chosen university-wide, for her work in the Jimmy Fund Clinic. Kristen graduated summa cum laude and received the Sears B. Condit award as one of the top ranked students in the graduating class of 3,200. She also received the Community Service Award and Nursing Excellence Award from the School of Nursing.

Internship Highlight

At Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI), Kristen participated in multidisciplinary rounds where she learned about cancer biology, treatment protocols, and symptom management. She worked with nurses at the Jimmy Fund Clinic and Children’s Hospital Boston to decrease bloodstream infections in pediatric cancer patients with central venous access devices. Kristen proposed and implemented her project to expedite the care of children with fever and neutropenia and to improve staff compliance with patient identification procedures. Since the conclusion of her Steamboat experience, Kristen has remained active at DFCI, working toward publishing a paper on young adults’ quality of life post-treatment for Hodgkin’s disease. She helped design an interactive online learning tool and a video that educates nursing staff on the proper care and management of CVA devices. These tools have been successfully adopted by the entire Department of Medicine at Children’s Hospital and integrated into the Nursing Orientation.

Where are they now?

Kristen is currently working in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago.