2015 Gold Medalist ~ Clinical Practice in a Small Hospital

Deborah Lee, MSN, RN, CPON, CNML, Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus 

When Deborah Lee enrolled at Texas Tech University in 1993, she was undecided on her career path. “I thought I wanted to be a marine biologist but my mother was encouraging me to be a nurse – and Lubbock wasn’t exactly the place to be a marine biologist,” says Deborah, who has been a nurse for 23 years. “I love science, and I love caring for people so I listened to my mother – on that one occasion at least – and went to nursing school. I enjoyed the challenge.”

After graduating with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Deborah accepted a position at a hospital in Lubbock on the acute care pediatric floor. In less than six months she was a charge nurse and a preceptor. It was during that time that she began to look for experts and mentors to learn from.

“If you were an RN at my hospital, you took a course and began giving chemotherapy to patients who required it,” she says. “In taking care of children with cancer, I was drawn to the specialty of pediatric oncology. In that first year, I had three patients and families who had a tremendous influence on my life. I always believe that these patients chose me rather than me choosing pediatric oncology.”

After a year in Lubbock, Deborah became a traveler, an experience she thought would last a few months. Nine years later she was still traveling from state to state. “I was getting great experience in wonderful hospitals across the United States,” she says. “During that time I became well rounded and really learned how to be a good nurse.”

Deborah spent about half of those nine years in Houston at Texas Children’s Hospital (TCH). In 2003, she signed a contract with TCH, officially ending her career as a traveler. Today, she is nurse manager over the Cancer Center and Infusion Center on the hospital’s West Campus.

“Those three children who died during my first year as a nurse and the rich experience I had with their families defined my outlook about pediatric oncology nursing and what I teach others who are new to it,” Deborah says. “When people ask me how I do it, I tell them that we didn’t cause the disease these children have, and they need help getting through it. That’s my mission and my calling.”

Deborah says her father has been a major inspiration in her life. “He’s always been very strong, supportive, and giving, and he taught me to work hard and do the best I can because it’s the right thing to do. I always enjoyed school, and my parents also supported my internal drive for learning. I love the challenge of not knowing and then becoming an expert.” In 2012, Deborah received her Master of Science in Nursing at Texas Tech University.

She says the opportunities she’s had in life have been presented to her. “I’ve not so much sought them out, as I’ve been ready for them when they were presented. As I’ve moved into leadership, I’ve learned to appreciate the ways in which I’m still impacting care and improving outcomes by teaching and mentoring others. Although I’m no longer providing direct patient care, I still interact with patients by stopping by their rooms, introducing myself, and asking if they need anything. When the floor nurses are busy, I can jump in and help.”

In her 12 years at Texas Children’s Hospital, Deborah has participated in a research scholars program, learning how to conduct nursing research and quality improvement projects, and in Rising Leaders, a yearlong program that helped prepare her for the leadership role she recently accepted.

“Deborah leads the way for her team,” wrote her nominator Ketrese White, MHA, RN, NE-BC, assistant clinical director of inpatient services at Texas Children’s Hospital. “Under her leadership, the outpatient area has done an amazing job of reaching their patient satisfaction goals. When we opened, we did not have an educator so she had to play both roles and she performed exceptionally. In fact, I was in awe of her ability to manage both roles. Soon after we opened the West Campus, we became aware that some patients receiving care in the outpatient clinic were also interested in receiving their inpatient chemotherapy care on the campus. Although the inpatient nursing staff was not under Deborah’s supervision, she volunteered to help educate and train them. In the interim, when staff members were still undergoing the didactic and precepted training for chemotherapy administration, she came to the bedside – day or night – and helped administer chemotherapy when needed.”

Deborah was instrumental in developing and facilitating the American Heart Association’s Pediatric Advanced Life Support and Basic Life Support for the West Campus. She also implemented the Blood Drive Program on the campus, which continues to be a success today. Along the way she has furthered her knowledge by achieving two certifications: Certified Pediatric Oncology Nurse (CPON) and Certified Nurse Manager Leader (CNML).

Deborah believes a part of her Excellence in Nursing Award belongs to the children and families who inspired her to choose pediatric oncology nursing. “I’m very humbled by receiving this award, which I consider a very big award,” she says. “I appreciate that Ketrese saw things in me she thought made me worthy of this award. It’s a great honor. The kids we work with are phenomenal in their strength, endurance, their hope, and in their faith that we’re here to help them. They are truly amazing.”