Nurse walks alongside patients with breast cancer

Jeri Osterbur is a nurse navigator for patients with breast cancer. During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, she shares how she is just a phone call away from offering support.

By TJ Banes, IU Health Senior Journalist tfender1@iuhealthorg

She often hears patients say: “I feel so much better after talking to you.” For Jeri Osterbur, those nine words reassure her that she is fulfilling a vital role at IU Health.

Osterbur joined IU Health six years ago working with oncology patients in the port room at Simon Cancer Center. Three years ago, she became the nurse navigator for patients with breast cancer. Recently, she was named RN Supervisor of Nurse Navigation.

“The best way to describe my role is I call newly diagnosed breast cancer patients and make sure they understand their biopsy results. I answer questions and describe the next steps,” said Osterbur. That personal contact gives her a chance to learn more about the patients - how they are feeling, not only physically, but also emotionally.

“I talk to them about their finances, make sure they are reviewing their records and they are appropriately scheduled with their provider,” said Osterbur. She provides every patient with a binder of educational materials and supportive care resources. That’s the practical aspect of her role. There’s a personal aspect that varies with each patient. She estimates she communicantes with 10 to 15 patients daily.

“I can meet them in infusion, accompany them to surgery, or just be there to hold their hand,” said Osterbur. “After working in oncology for so many years, I was seeing and experiencing so many patients and their struggles with not knowing what happens next, even what type of chemotherapy they were taking. This job is about walking with them side by side,” she said. She shares how she accompanied a patient for her mastectomy, sat with the patient’s mother in the waiting room, and was there when the patient returned for additional biopsies. “We built such a good relationship. I was glad I was there for her.”

Many times, patients call Osterbur and say, “I didn’t know who else to call.” She says she looks at herself as an extra layer of support. “They have their oncologist, their surgeon, and their radiation oncologist that will take care of their cancer; I’m here to take care of them as a person. That means something different for everyone.”

Sometimes patients will be nervous when they’re hearing their diagnosis or talking to their doctor. “Maybe they forgot to ask a question, or they didn’t fully understand the answer. I’ve heard them say many times, ‘I feel so much better after talking to you. I can only imagine me or my family member wondering after I hear a diagnosis of breast cancer what that feels like,” said Osterbur. “Some patients have zero idea of what kind of breast cancer they have and whether they’ll see their daughter get married or their grandchildren grow up.

I love advocating for a patient,” said Osterbur.

Outside of her role at IU Health, Osterbur is married to Todd Osterbur, a physician assistant in orthopedics at Riley Hospital for Children. They are the parents to a 26-year-old son who is enrolled in IU School of Medicine, and two daughters, ages 16 and 17. Both her mother and her husband’s mother were nurses. Osterbur and her husband met when they were working at a nursing home. They went on to attend nursing school together. As a hobby, Osterbur enjoys making homemade soap, candles, and scrubs.