Nursing administrator raises awareness about MD Anderson in the community

Doyle Bosque always felt called to become a nurse. But early in his career, he questioned that decision.

“Some days can be especially challenging,” he says. “I wasn’t sure I could handle it.”

While he was working on the pediatrics floor of a local hospital, a young patient confirmed he had chosen the right profession. 

“Nobody could control this little boy who yelled, screamed and threw things,” recalls Bosque, who volunteered to help. He sat on the floor and started playing with the child’s action figures. Five minutes later, the toddler joined him. 

“I used those action figures to talk to him about being sick and taking medicine,” Bosque says. “Every time I walked into the room, we played.”

One day, he arrived to find the little boy standing in the doorway with arms held high, inviting Bosque to pick him up.

“I knew then that I had made a wise career choice,” he recalls. 

A commitment to advancing cancer research

Decades later, Bosque is now a director of nursing research at MD Anderson, where he ensures our clinical trials comply with necessary guidelines and that patients enrolled in trials receive exceptional, safe care. 

As rewarding as his job is, he sometimes misses the connections he formed with patients early in his career. He’s now an administrator, not a bedside nurse.

“My work is vitally important, and I feel very privileged to be entrusted with the responsibility I’ve been given,” he says. “But I no longer see patients and their families. I miss that.”

Ambassador Program provides a human connection

To regain that human connection, Bosque joined MD Anderson’s Ambassador Program. The role involves staffing MD Anderson tables and booths at community events, where he talks one-on-one with people about MD Anderson’s mission to end cancer. 

“This diverse group of employees exemplifies the best of MD Anderson and our mission to end cancer,” says Lora Shea, manager of Community Relations. “They’re the face of MD Anderson in our community, and I couldn’t be prouder to have them represent our organization.”

Bosque often staffs the MD Anderson table at the Houston Dynamo FC’s monthly Soccer Night Out, where families bring their children to participate in soccer activities with Dynamo players. While the children play, he chats with parents and hands out information about cancer prevention along with MD Anderson giveaways. He’s also staffed MD Anderson booths at health fairs, runs and walks, golf tournaments and festivals.

“It’s amazing how many people visit the MD Anderson booth,” Bosque says. “I hear a lot of stories about friends or relatives who are doing well after treatment at MD Anderson. It makes me proud and confirms the positive impact we’re making.”

Bosque has encouraged several co-workers to become ambassadors, including his wife and fellow employee, Elizabeth Del Bosque. The two attend events together. 

“It gives us a chance to educate people about cancer prevention and to provide other resources,” Bosque says. 

It also allows him to serve others, which he calls “my greatest joy in life.”

“It’s who I am and why I became a nurse,” he says. “It’s in my DNA.”

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