Allison Strider, BSN, is the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Nursing’s first graduate student pursuing a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) to receive a prestigious American Cancer Society Graduate Scholarship in Cancer Nursing Practice.
The award, which supports graduate students pursuing a master’s degree in cancer nursing or doctorate of nursing practice, will provide her a $10,000 stipend in each of the next two years.
Strider, who is in the Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner with Oncology Subspecialty Track, said she was stunned to receive this kind of support.
Allison Strider“My love for the nursing profession began in high school when I first learned about the roles of the nurse and the advanced practice nurse in health care,” Strider said. “I decided then my goal was to become an advanced practice nurse and my goal today is the same as it was 10 years ago. “This Graduate Scholarship in Cancer Nursing Practice from the American Cancer Society will help me reach that goal of providing comprehensive care to those with cancer as an adult oncology nurse practitioner.”
Even before nursing school, Strider worked as a patient care associate with a focus on gynecology and oncology. She is currently a staff nurse at the Bone Marrow Transplant Intensive Care Unit at UAB Hospital and has plans to further her education at the doctoral level.
“I got my first job in the oncology field, and I fell in love with it,” Strider said. “I plan to continue my education and obtain a doctoral degree with a specific emphasis in education and cancer treatment therapies. This American Cancer Society award will not only help me accomplish one of my short-term goals, it will pave the way for future professional endeavors.”
Those will also include more involvement in cancer research, particularly in the area of treatment measures and symptom management, and someday becoming a nurse educator.
“Over the next two years I would like to become a more active participant in research being done with bone marrow and hematopoietic stem cell transplants and pursue more research opportunities in symptom and side-effect management,” Strider said. “Another goal is to use my education and experience in oncology to teach future students at both the undergraduate and graduate levels and to be a resource for those pursuing careers in oncology.”
As with any nurse leader, Strider’s ultimate focus is on providing the best possible health care for her patients.
“I have learned through my experience caring for people undergoing cancer treatment that thorough education and emphasis on quality of life can increase compliance with treatment regimens and decrease patient and family anxiety,” Strider said. “My ambition is to provide this level of care to my patients and explore more ways to include these aspects into all cancer care.
“I am very excited and very appreciative of the support the American Cancer Society has given me to work towards my goals.”
