TEMPLE, TX — Knowing four women personally fighting breast cancer, Shipp knew she had a calling to help those fighting today. Tiffiany Shipp knew she wanted to be in the medical field, helping people was her passion and no matter what role she found herself in she enjoyed.
A nurse for the past 12 years she's learned to care for many different types of patients. Recently she decided to become the Breast Cancer Nurse Navigator at the Baylor Scott & White Vasicek Cancer Treatment Center. Becoming a nurse for breast cancer patients hit home for her.
"I have two cousins that are breast cancer survivors, my mother-in-law is a breast cancer survivor, and my mother is a breast cancer survivor," Shipp said.
Knowing that many people with breast cancer so close to you may seem like a lot, but one in eight women are diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. With those odds, Shipp is not surprised that she knows that many that close to her.
"It's going to come out to where you either have it yourself or you're going to know someone in your life time that has been effected by breast cancer," Shipp said.
She doesn't usually share her story with each patient, but as the nurse navigator she understands just a bit more about what the patient and the family is going through. Support from family is sometimes the best medicine but it's important to check up on everyone in the situation.
"I don't know how many times those people [supporters] get asked how are you doing." Shipp siad.
An advocate for the yearly mammogram and self-checks, she says it's important to speak up when something feels off.
Shipp goes into work each day for her four family members who fought, the ones fighting right now and those family and friend supporters.
"I think that that's something great about getting to so this the connections we make the impact they make on your life and our entire team is like that with our patients," Shipp said.
Ultimately, she stresses the importance of not only asking how the one fighting is doing. She felt comfort when friends would ask her how she was doing as well. As a nurse you're not only taking care of the patient but he family as well, something Shipp strives for.
