Patients, peers laud award winner

Her colleagues describe her as a “rising star,” a “natural leader,” a “fearless” advocate for patients. What patients value most is simply her warmth and compassion.

Nancy Tomczak, a clinical nurse in the inpatient stem cell transplant unit at MD Anderson, is the recipient of the 2011 Ethel Fleming Arceneaux Outstanding Nurse-Oncologist Award. Tomczak accepted her award at an MD Anderson ceremony June 22. The award, the institution’s highest nursing honor, is funded and presented annually by The Brown Foundation, Inc.

Straight out of nursing school at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Tomczak landed a job at MD Anderson, where she’s spent her entire 10-year career. She’s proved herself not only as a nurse, but also as a leader. Her dedication and drive for helping others develop their nursing skills led to her nomination as a candidate for MD Anderson’s 2008 Excellence in Nursing Leadership Award. She is a member of the Oncology Nursing Society and serves as chair of the Nursing Practice Congress.

“When deciding where to start my career, there was no question — only the best,” Tomczak says. “Little did I know that nursing at MD Anderson would be such a rewarding, well-rounded profession.”