Spotlight: Nancy Ainslie of the KCA’s Clinical Advisory Board

Nancy Ainslie, RN is a member of the KCA’s Clinical Advisory Board and is retired from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center after 30 years.

We spoke to Nancy about her work with the KCA and in medicine.

How long have you been working with the KCA and what motivated you to get involved?

I have been working with the KCA since the Nursing Advisory Board (now the Clinical Advisory Board) started.  I worked with Dr. Chris Wood at MD Anderson, and he told me they were starting a nursing advisory board. He asked me if I would be interested in being a representative from MD Anderson.  I thought it was a great opportunity to help develop educational materials for our kidney cancer patients.

What inspired you to go into the medical field?

A friend of mine was badly injured by a drunk driver in high school, so I was at the hospital and their rehab a lot and decided that I wanted to become a nurse and help people.

What is meaningful about your role as a healthcare professional? 

I found helping people and being a cheerful and caring professional to be meaningful.  Also working towards improved treatments through the research studies.

What is your favorite travel destination and why?

Besides Europe, my favorite is Lake Tahoe.  The mountains and lake are truly beautiful and have such a calm and peaceful atmosphere.

What do you like to do in your free time?

Gardening, baking, and spending time with my husband and friends.