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In July 2025, as UVA Health University Medical Center transitioned to geography-based inpatient teams, leadership designated family medicine patients and oncology overflow as 4 Central’s primary patient population. “It was definitely a big change,” says Amber Eanes, MSN, RN, MedSurg-BC, Nurse Manager 4 Central, which was previously a general medicine unit. “Exciting, but also a little scary because we didn’t yet know — what we didn’t know.” 

The team immediately rose to the challenge.

“As soon as we announced the shift, several charge nurses and experienced nurses came to me and said, ‘We need a plan,’” Eanes recalls. “They felt comfortable caring for family medicine patients but wanted to make sure they had the knowledge to safely care for oncology patients. It speaks to their true commitment to excellence and to providing the high quality care we know we’re capable of at UVA Health. They really uphold that standard!"

Building the Right Support System

Eanes describes herself as a servant leader — working alongside her team, learning with them, and staying present during difficult transitions. “I love being there beside my team,” she says. “Whatever they want to accomplish, I want to be in their corner!” 

In response to her team’s request for training, Eanes reached out to Nursing Director Scott Austin, BSN, RN; Medical Director Charles Magee, MD; and UVA Health University Medical Center Associate Chief Nursing Officer Veronica Brill, MSN, RN, NEA-BC. These leaders offered support and resources that would ensure a successful transition, including connecting Eanes with Tanya Thomas, DNP, APRN, AGCNS-BC, OCN, an oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist. “Tanya set up biweekly lunch-and-learns through the first of the year, which we always recorded so no one misses out. She has been absolutely incredible,” says Eanes. 

One example of what the team on 4 Central learned from Thomas is how to manage neutropenic fever. “The parameters are different from a standard medicine fever, and once a neutropenic fever happens, it starts a cascade of time-sensitive steps,” explains Eanes.

Thanks to targeted education — including Thomas’ lunch-and-learns, unit-based rounding with leaders, and two, all-day charge nurse retreats with crash courses and bonding time — the team grew rapidly in confidence and skill. “They realized they could learn something that isn’t the easiest and accomplish so much together as a team,” describes Eanes. “I am so proud of them, and I know they’re proud of themselves.”

Eanes adds they were fortunate to have support from Jenny Mellott, MSN, BSN, RN, an oncology-trained nurse now in recruiting, who stepped in as a dedicated liaison from August to November. “Oncology really is its own language,” Eanes explains. “Jenny helped break down what we truly needed to know. We didn’t need to become full oncology nurses, but we did need the right education. Her guidance made such a difference.”

Improving Patient Care and Experience

Patients and families already are seeing the benefits of the transition. “Before, our nurses might have learned oncology care over time or if they floated to the right unit, but they didn’t consistently have that background,” says Eanes. “Now our nurses can really advocate for our oncology patients and make sure they’re getting the very best care.” 

Having oncology overflow patients in one location also has improved communication, standardization, and teamwork across disciplines. Eanes, Assistant Nurse Manager Jaimee E. Layne, BSN, RN, CMSRN, and several charge nurses now attend daily rounds together to continue to learn and grow.

Focused on Excellence 

Looking back on the past five months, Eanes is proud. “I’m just so impressed by my team for upholding such a high standard of excellence,” she beams. “They’ve accomplished so much, and they’re continuing to grow every day. This experience showed us that once we set our mind to something, we can accomplish anything!”

Today, 4 Central is fully equipped to care for its new patient mix — and ready to share its lessons with team members facing similar transitions. Eanes advises other nurse managers to host regular team meetings, touch base daily, and be present on the unit.

“Change management is hard,” she admits. “But open communication and frequent check-ins really helped us through this transition. It brought me closer to my team and helped align our goals for bringing in a new population.”