Nurse Profile: Ella Lovejoy, R.N.

Soon after hearing the words “breast cancer,” patients hear the caring, reassuring, compassionate voice of Ella Lovejoy, R.N. As clinical care coordinator in the UAB Breast Health Clinic, she is the first point of contact for patients wanting to learn more about the treatment options available at UAB.            

“The idea is to guide people through what can be a very frightening and emotional experience,” Ms. Lovejoy says. “I help determine what direction patients need to go. If they have breast cancer, then they’re assigned to an interdisciplinary breast cancer team. If they’re experiencing some other type of breast problem, they will be assigned to a physician on staff. If someone is concerned about a family history of cancer, we refer her to the breast cancer prevention clinic.”            

That gives a broad overview of Ms. Lovejoy’s role as a clinical care coordinator, but her interaction with patients takes many forms. “Sometimes I feel like my work comprises a little bit of everything, especially the role of counselor,” she says. “Naturally, women who have just been diagnosed with breast cancer or who have developed breast problems are very distraught. So the first thing I try to do is calm them down so they can actually hear.”            

In fact, it’s not unusual for patients to call Ms. Lovejoy’s office daily, but she doesn’t mind. She says she has a lot of sympathy and compassion for patients who are waiting for the phone to ring—waiting for answers. “So I encourage them to call if they haven’t heard from me,” she says.            

One of the toughest parts of her job, Ms. Lovejoy explains, is convincing patients that it’s all right to wait a few weeks before diagnosis and treatment if it takes that long to handle all the details. “When people hear the word ‘cancer,’ it becomes an emergency,” she says. “There are some forms of cancer that we do consider emergencies, and we bring these patients in immediately. But usually the patient’s issue has, in all likelihood, been there for some time—the difference is that now the patient is aware of it, and it becomes an emergency of the mind, which is understandable. I explain that gathering all of the information to make an informed decision is the best way to proceed. You don’t want to rush into a plan of action only to learn later that it might have been better to take another approach.”            

Another of Ms. Lovejoy’s duties is to organize patient information so that UAB physicians have everything they need the first time they see the patient. “It’s my responsibility to collect all of the outside information, including pathology slides and films pertaining to patient problems, so that the materials can be reviewed here at UAB to determine a diagnosis and treatment plan. Then I contact patients and tell them what needs to be done, set up appointments, and mail out details. It’s a very busy job and a juggling act for me. I always thought I could multitask, but I call this ‘polytasking’ because I’m constantly working on so many cases.”

Although she hasn’t had a personal experience with breast cancer, Ms. Lovejoy has faced a few scares. “I have fibrocystic breast condition [in which the milk glands and ducts swell, forming fluid-filled sacs], which affects more than 60 percent of women, and last year I had a biopsy of some calcifications,” she explains. “It was pretty frightening for me because in that situation I had to wait a few days to receive a report. So it was hard to train my mind on something else because the feelings of uncertainty flooded back constantly.            

“I have a real strong faith, which gets me through difficulties, but I realize that not everyone has that,” Ms. Lovejoy says. “I try to support people and meet them where they are—to encourage them to not really worry. Often, I explain that we don’t have any information yet, so we shouldn’t worry until we have results.” Ms. Lovejoy says she spends a lot of time describing the different types of breast cancers and conditions. “For instance, if a patient has been diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ [a growth within the milk ducts], I explain that it is encapsulated and not an invasive cancer at that stage, which is favorable.”

Despite the demands of her work, Ms. Lovejoy finds time to enjoy life, especially her family and church. “I love cooking, particularly baking,” she says. “My specialty is a sour cream pound cake. I also make German chocolate cakes. I enjoy reading, and I teach a Sunday school class for young women.”            

When she thinks about the other women she helps—the ones she meets and talks with every day—Ms. Lovejoy feels proud to be part of UAB’s interdisciplinary breast cancer team. “It’s unique,” she says. “This approach is not offered at all hospitals. The team includes a surgeon, a medical oncologist and a radiation oncologist. These three doctors come to The Kirklin Clinic to meet with patients. That’s not usually the case outside UAB, where patients often make several visits to doctors’ offices. Our team of doctors reviews each patient’s information, and all three determine the best treatment approach. Then they go to the patient’s room to give their best recommendations and answer any questions about the treatment plan or the cancer. It’s a lengthy visit because it’s comprehensive, so I tell patients to bring a good book or knitting and plan to be here several hours.

“The doctors spend quality time with each patient, and we don’t want them to feel rushed. When they visit with a patient, at that moment he or she’s the only patient they have. That’s special.”