Seattle Reign FC Legend: Donna Fernandez – Nurse Navigator with MultiCare
The Legends Campaign, a partnership between Seattle Reign FC and Starbucks, honors women for their extraordinary contributions to our community in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. Prior to Seattle Reign FC’s Kick Breast Cancer match against Angel City FC on October 4, the club recognized Donna Fernandez, MSN, RN, OCN, ONN-CG, Nurse Navigator with MultiCare.
Working with the breast surgical team at MultiCare Cancer Institute, Donna specializes in helping patients through the many steps of cancer treatment and survivorship. Putting the patient first, she focuses on making sure that they understand how barriers can be overcome and how they can move through treatment successfully, reducing the stress and confusion they may be feeling.
“I kind of fell into it by accident,” said Donna. “I was pursuing my bachelor's degree in nursing and working as an LPN while I was still in the military. I was asked to fill in in the oncology clinic where they do chemo infusions because they needed somebody to help.”
With a background in the ICU and open-heart surgery, Donna wasn’t sure if oncology was a good fit for her. She was asked to fill in for 30 days and promised a move back to ICU if she didn’t like it.
"I started helping in the oncology clinic and what do you know – I absolutely loved it. After that point, I geared my nursing toward oncology and now I’ve been there for over 20 years and still love it.”
Her work involves serving as an educator, advocate and friend to patients and their loved ones. She works tirelessly to be sure that patients and their loved ones can understand their diagnosis and treatment in layman’s terms. From making appointments to lending a caring ear, she does everything possible to keep the patient’s cancer treatment moving forward.
Highly skilled in her role, she works to anticipate the needs of patients and connect them with information and services precisely when they are needed. Her resilience and care each and every day makes an indescribable impact on those around her.
“Watching patients go through the treatments and being by their side to help them through their struggles and then seeing them come out on the other end is very gratifying.”
She continued, “After I got my bachelor's degree and was working in chemotherapy, I started my master's degree in nursing education. That was something I’m really proud of because it was one of those things that I always wanted to do. I thought I wanted to teach when I could no longer do nursing, but I think as long as I can be productive in my role and take care of my patients, this is what I’m going to do until I retire.”
As someone who went through nursing school and has navigated her career, Donna has advice to share with young women pursing a goal of their own.
"Go out there and do it. Pursue the goal, whatever it is, surround yourself with people that make you feel good about yourself. People that are not going to lie to you but will also encourage you to pursue those dreams. Sometimes it’s hard and you really have to do a little bit of legwork to find the resources you need, but you can do it. You can absolutely do it.”
Though this was an unexpected honor for Donna, she is very grateful for opportunity to be honored as a Legend alongside other incredible women in the community.
“I am incredibly humbled and very honored to be a Legend. I don't think of myself as any kind of special person. This is something that I am passionate about doing and I'm happy to always be there for my patients as a resource, and their family members as well. To be honored in any way for doing the work I do is great. I’m really so grateful to be in this position.”