In her work as a nurse practitioner, Jenna Ally, AG-ACNP, treats patients with cancers in the digestive tract, like liver, stomach, and pancreatic cancers. She helps her patients with the side effects from chemotherapy and immunotherapy.
Get To Know a UVA Cancer Center Nurse Practitioner
We asked Ally our 7 quick questions.
1. What has most inspired and shaped your approach to patient care?
My father was diagnosed with acute leukemia, and seeing how his oncologist addressed our family and his needs changed my perspective on how better to communicate with patients and their families. I think it’s important to make patients and families feel like they are a part of their care, so we can make decisions together as a team.
2. What’s your favorite part of your job?
That it doesn’t feel like work. When I come in, I love connecting with patients; I love building relationships. I have excellent colleagues that work together as a team, and I love that we have the common goal of providing excellent patient care.
3. What’s your biggest fear when you’re a patient?
That I’m going to sound like I’m complaining when I’m describing my symptoms. So when I am in my provider role, I hope I provide an environment where you feel safe to share positive and negative experiences.
4. What do you do for stress relief?
I have a wonderful, supportive husband as well as 3 strong, beautiful girls, and they are the joy of my life. I love being able to spend time outside with them, reading books, and I also love good food and wine.
5. Dogs or Cats?
I have both a dog and a cat, but if I were to choose just 1, I would say I’m more of a dog person.
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6. What’s the last movie you saw? Thumbs up or down?
Encanto. The music is phenomenal, and I think it’s just a great message that being yourself is the true gift. I think that that’s an important message to send to ourselves and future generations, so that gets a thumbs up.
7. What’s the best advice you’ve ever heard?
My father always shared with me to be a light giver. What that means to me is to take an opportunity to reach out to somebody who might be in a dark time and encourage them and support them and give them the light that they need to help them through that period of life. That applies to both my personal and professional career.
