Second Chances

Cara Lunsford began her nurse career in pediatric oncology at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in 2008. She first discovered an interest in oncology when she worked as a sign language interpreter at Cal State Northridge, interpreting the Biology of Cancer class two semesters in a row. It was that class that put her on her path to become a nurse. As a nurse she witnessed, and experienced first hand, the level of burnout that was happening in the profession. She worked with her co-workers to create the first Supportive Care Committee aimed at providing a safe and supportive place for caregivers to cope with the stress of their job. Life eventually took Cara into a variety of other nurse professions, including home health, infusion nursing, hospice, private duty and a Director of Nursing role at a concierge home health in Los Angeles. With a wide variety of experience under her belt, she noticed that there were many pain points in the industry; nurses were in need of a supportive community and companies needed he