A Living Legend in Pediatric Oncology Nursing: Jean Fergusson

Jean Fergusson is a true pioneer in pediatric oncology nursing. Her many professional accomplishments include working alongside Dr. Sidney Farber and others in the first pediatric Tumor Therapy Clinic in the United States, establishing a model pediatric nurse practitioner program that graduated an influential cadre of pediatric oncology nurse practitioners, publishing landmark papers about late sequelae of childhood cancer treatment, and serving as a role model and mentor to countless nurses over the past 50 years. Jean has brought all she is to her life as a nurse—she is gentle, funny, wise, easily moved, curious, generous, and, most of all, she truly loves children. An eyewitness to the dramatic changes in pediatric oncology over the decades, she herself is a survivor, having overcome dyslexia and other daunting life challenges. In this interview, Jean responds to questions about what shaped her interest in nursing and how she chose pediatric oncology, her impressions and recollections of the early days in pediatric oncology nursing, and her vision for the future of our specialty.