4 North (4N)
4 North (4N)
Leadership
Vickie Riskie, RN, BSN, OCN
Nursing Director
Adrienne “Adi” Banavage, RN, MSN
Nursing Educator
About the Unit
4N is a 20-bed unit located in the Cancer Hospital Building on the fourth floor. It is open 24-hours- a-day, 7-days-a-week.
Staff
Head Nurse: Nicole Harris, RN
Head Nurse: Kathy Adams, RN
Case Manager: Elana Brodsky, RN
Case Manager: Marina Kharb
Social Worker: John Stanicki
There are 1-2 critical care technicians each shift who assist with basic patient care. There is a unit secretary on each shift to perform data entry and secretarial duties.
Patient population
The 4N nursing staff cares for adult and geriatric hematology/oncology patients, ages 18 years through the lifespan. Patients cared for in this unit have a variety of diagnoses that include, but are not limited to, leukemia and lymphoma diagnoses, myeloma, and myelodysplastic syndromes. 4N patients who have secondary diagnoses such as anemia, neutropenia, sepsis, and those requiring telemetry will also be cared for on this unit.
Patient Care Needs
Patients on 4N require 1:4 to 1:5 nursing care. They require chemotherapy, biotherapy, multiple blood products, antimicrobials and antifungal agents. In addition, 4N patients may require continuous cardiac monitoring, low-dose dopamine intravenous infusion, and pain management. Frequent nursing and ancillary service intervention as well as dietary consultation and occupational and physical therapy services are also provided.
About Our Nurses
Nursing care is provided by professional registered nurses competent in the care of medical oncology patients. Competencies include, but are not limited to:
- Implementing research protocols
- Neutropenic/thrombocytopenic management
- Telemetry certification
- Intravenous certification
- Blood and blood product administration
- Pain management
- Low dose dopamine intravenous infusion
- Chemotherapy administration
