Hilary Tingley discovered a passion for caregiving when her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.
鈥淲hen my mom was sick, I always wanted to know more and be more helpful 鈥 I became her caregiver,鈥 Tingley says.
After her mother finished treatment at their home in Florida, she moved to Chicago and eventually pursued a master鈥檚 degree in nursing at DePaul University.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 when I fell in love with nursing,鈥 she says. 鈥淚t was an incredible experience to be able to see the things that I did and learn about different procedures.鈥
After graduating, Tingley joined the RUSH Cancer Center as a nurse navigator in breast oncology in 2019.
Focusing on patients first
Tingley helps guide patients through every step of their care 鈥 from diagnosis to recovery.
鈥淲hen patients first hear the words 鈥榊ou have cancer,鈥 they are very anxious,鈥 she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the difference between the first conversation that I have with them and that last conversation 鈥 when they're relieved to be on the other side of care 鈥 that鈥檚 really satisfying.鈥
Tingley is grateful for her colleagues at the RUSH Cancer Center, where she says, 鈥渃ommunity stands out the most.鈥
鈥淭he doctors care a lot about their nurses and want to hear our feedback about how to make things run smoother,鈥 Tingley says. 鈥淭hey are very supportive of the whole group involved in patient care 鈥 we are cohesive team.鈥
A passion project that led to change
While working full time, Tingley is also pursuing a doctorate in nursing and family medicine at .
Through school, Tingley helped to create the social determinants of health screening tool at RUSH. It connects lower-income patients with breast cancer to programs that address issues that can interfere with pursuing treatment, including food insecurity, transportation and utility bills.
With Tingley鈥檚 help, patients are called and screened before their appointment, setting them up with resources and support at the beginning of their care. In some cases, patients are also connected with social workers, who are the main source of support and play a large role in expediting patient care, Tingley adds.
鈥淲ith the changes led by Hilary, patients are receiving treatment faster,鈥 says , a RUSH breast surgeon and mentor to Tingley. 鈥淲e鈥檙e grateful for Hilary and her work.鈥
鈥業t鈥檚 uplifting to be recognized鈥
For her dedication to nursing in breast cancer care, Tingley was selected as the recipient of the .
鈥淚鈥檝e worked with Hilary for over five years, and her compassion, leadership, communication and organizational skills make her an invaluable asset to our breast team and patients,鈥 says RUSH breast cancer coordinator Madeline McIntosh, RN.
Tingley says she was surprised and honored to win the national award.
鈥淚t makes me feel good to be recognized for what I鈥檝e done so far. It鈥檚 really uplifting,鈥 she says. 鈥淚鈥檓 thankful for my colleagues and mentors for their support. And I look forward to helping more patients by connecting them with resources through our social determinants of health screening.鈥
To learn more about breast cancer care at RUSH, visit rush.edu/breast-cancer-care.
