Global Cancer Program faculty member, Linda Abramovitz, was inducted as a fellow into the American Academy of Nursing on October 7, 2017, joining a distinguished group of leaders in nursing education, management, practice, and research. Ms. Abramovitz’s induction to the Academy is not only a recognition of her long list of accomplishments but a call to continued action. After 32 years of clinical service at UCSF as a Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant/Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist and as an International leader, Ms. Abramovitz retired in 2017. Now, as a volunteer faculty member for the School of Nursing and Global Cancer Program she intends to grow her international practice which focuses on increasing the standard and profile of nursing in low-and-middle income countries (LMICs).

Linda currently works in India, Ethiopia, and Vietnam. In September, Ms. Abramovitz joined 10 delegates from the Global Cancer Program for a meeting of stakeholders from UCSF and Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS). Her work at these sites focuses on establishing partnerships with international colleagues to enhance oncology nursing practices and education.

Baseline Nursing Standards to make impact in low- and middle- income countries
During her tenure as Co-Chair of the Pediatric Oncology in Developing Countries Nursing Working Group of the International Society of Pediatric Oncology (SIOP), the group has experienced unprecedented growth. Her most recent workshop in October was attended by 25 nurses from 13 countries. Furthermore, Ms. Abramovitz was on the team that developed the Baseline Standards for Pediatric Oncology Nursing Care in LMICs and is currently involved in establishing measures to evaluate their implementation and impact. Baseline standards address nurse to patient staffing ratios determined by acuity, education, safety around chemotherapy administration and infection control, as well as evidence-based practice and are now endorsed by 15 international cancer organizations and institutions. Ms. Abramovitz is excited about the potential impact: “While many high-income countries see pediatric cancer cure rates average over 80%, survival rates range from 5-60% in LMICs, where 80% of children with cancer live. Implementation of baseline nursing standards is essential to improving childhood cancer survival.”