Laura J. Zitella, MS, RN, ACNP-BC, AOCN®, is a hematology/oncology nurse practitioner and associate clinical professor in the School of Nursing at the University of California San Francisco. Previously, she served as the lead advanced practice provider for inpatient hematology/oncology at Stanford Health Care, where she was responsible for the operations and management of an inpatient hematology/oncology medical service of advanced practice providers as well as program development, evidence-based practice, and quality improvement initiatives at the Stanford Cancer Institute and the Stanford Center for Advanced Practice.
Ms. Zitella has practiced in the field for over 25 years, caring for patients with hematologic and oncologic malignancies receiving chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, investigational agents, hematopoietic cell transplantation, and supportive care. She has delivered hundreds of educational presentations to national and international audiences and authored numerous peer-reviewed publications, web courses, videos, and book chapters. Ms. Zitella co-edited the “Hematologic Malignancies in Adults” textbook, which was awarded an American Medical Writers Association Medical Book Award Honorable Mention. She also participated in the Immuno-Oncology Essentials Initiative which produced Care Step Pathways, patient education, and videos for the management of immunotherapy side effects.
Ms. Zitella is actively involved with the ACCC, the Advanced Practitioner Society of Hematology and Oncology, the Oncology Nursing Society, the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, and the California Association of Nurse Practitioners. As a result of her dedication to patients, oncology care, and nurse practitioner professional practice, Ms. Zitella has received several honors, including the ONS Excellence in Medical Oncology Award, the DAISY Award, and the inaugural Stanford Health Care APP of the Year Award.