Publications
The Making of an Exemplary Nurse
Gisela Sanchez-Williams
by Erika Hargrove
For her family, her patients, and all her other passions in life, Gisela Sanchez-Williams is known for giving 100 percent. For that work ethic and much more, the advanced practice nurse in Neurosurgery’s spine program was named the 2009 Ethel Fleming Arceneaux Outstanding Nurse-Oncologist.
Exemplary, award winning nurses don’t suddenly appear fully formed. What goes into the development of such a nurse? What decisions are made along the way?
Every nurse comes to the profession in his or her own way, and every nurse’s career trajectory is different. Sanchez-Williams’ story illustrates how someone with a passion can work hard and build an immensely satisfying professional nursing career. She took the first step on her journey when she was just a teenager.
The Snow Storm That Changed Everything
A native of Puerto Rico, Sanchez-Williams moved to New York at age three with her family. She realized her inner calling to become a nurse at age 14, answering a plea for volunteers at a hospital during a “horrendous” snow storm. Soon after, she became a candy striper and enrolled at a vocational high school to study nursing.
LVN to RN
At 17, Sanchez-Williams, a licensed vocational nurse, went to work at a lower Manhattan hospital. Inspired to complete a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, she enrolled at Keuka College in upstate New York and completed her degree at Colegio Universitario Metropolitano in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, working her way through college as a hemodialysis technician.
New Nurse at MD Anderson
After graduating in 1984, Sanchez-Williams spent seven years at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. In 1991, Michael Andreeff, M.D., Ph.D., invited her to join him as a senior research nurse in MD Anderson’s Department of Leukemia.
An Advanced Practice Nurse is Born
In 2000, Sanchez-Williams completed the advanced practice nurse program at The University of Texas School of Nursing at Houston, and received a Master of Science in Nursing before joining the Department of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology.
An Amazing Career
The holistic needs of patients are so important to Sanchez-Williams, now in Neurosurgery, that she formed a spine tumor support group. She has written educational materials for the group and brings in speakers monthly to share valuable information. The forum provides patients with the opportunity to share experiences and ask medical and personal questions about their disease.
“Developing a support group for spine tumor patients has allowed me to learn about the priority needs of this population. It’s also allowed me to gain greater insight into their concerns and long-term issues,” says Sanchez-Williams. “Their ability to embrace each other, express the details of their cancer journey, and offer unique ways to improve their quality of life has been an amazing experience for me.”