Retired Nurses Supporting the Workforce – [Podcast] Ep. 211

Una Hopkins, DNP, MSN, FNP-BC, NE-BC, RN, FACCC, president of the Association of Cancer Care Centers (ACCC) designated her theme for the 2025-2026 year as Designing Oncology Care to Meet the Needs of a Growing Patient Population in response to forecasts predicting both patient and survivor populations will grow in coming years. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Dr. Hopkins about the importance of peer-to-peer mentorship in workforce development and empowerment, particularly for nurses, and why retired nurses are well-equipped to provide this mentorship. 

Later in the episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Josephine Lisowski, RN, BSN, OCN, PRN nurse at Advocate Health, who came out of retirement to fill a new role reducing burnout and increasing retention of oncology nurses. Throughout her career, Lisowski identified that a strong culture rooted in quality, patient safety, and excellence in nursing must be nurtured to avoid burnout. Upon retirement, she felt a pull to return towards mentoring and supporting younger oncology nurses to improve retention and job satisfaction. Lisowski will discuss how using a retired nurse for this mentorship role at Advocate Health lifted the burden on the main work force and combined generational strengths to enable nurses to provide the best care possible to patients.  

“We have to create spaces that are more psychologically safe for both our patients and our providers. I think that once we do that, we will see burnout change” - Dr. Hopkins

“When you bring a retired nurse back again, it's meeting them where they are. They still want to share that knowledge that they have.” - Dr. Hopkins

“There's so much new innovation coming every day. But peer-to-peer, we can knock things between each other... It educates me and it educates them.” – Lisowski

“I'm trying to encourage hospital management to keep the older nurses on at some point and not just have a whole new crew... In oncology, experience counts.” - Lisowski

Guests:

Una Hopkins, DNP, MSN, FNP-BC, NE-BC, RN, FACCC

President, Association of Cancer Care Centers

Director for Research and Evidence-Based Practice

Montefiore Medical Center

                                     Bronx, New York

Josephine Lisowski, RN, BSN, OCN

PRN Nurse

Advocate Health

Park Ridge, Illinois 

Resources:

• Healthcare Burnout: An Epidemic Among Oncology Nurses
• Burnout Prevention & Education
• Mentoring Those New to Oncology
• Onboarding Experienced Non-Oncology Nurses to Address Staffing Shortages
• A Perfect Fit: Mentoring Experienced RNs to Meet Oncology Clinic Demand
  

This podcast is part of a special series featuring ACCC members committed to the 2025-2026 ACCC President’s Theme: Designing Oncology Care to Meet the Needs of a Growing Patient Population.