USF Nursing alum makes life better for cancer patients [VIDEO]

Kristyna Burczyk was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. When she first heard the news, she was devastated, but she doesn’t feel alone.

“I think when something like this happens, your brain just goes a million different directions, so to have someone reign it in is definitely a big help,” Burczyk said. “I’m pretty strong, I’m a fighter…”

Yes she is, and she will do it with the help of USF College of Nursing alum, Susan Scherer, BSN, ’13, chief executive officer and founder of RN Cancer Guides. She helps provide support to people going through cancer. She started her own company, RN Cancer Guides, a few years ago, and since then she’s made quite a difference.

“We help cancer patients and their families navigate all the aspects of their cancer diagnosis,” Scherer said. “The company has different programs. We come in and we talk to patients and say, what do you understand about your diagnosis? What do you know? And what is your goal? We develop an education plan with them. We measure their fatigue and their distress. We keep a lot of metrics. We go to the appointments with them, so we’re with them in the doctor’s office.”

Scherer graduated from USF in 2013. She says her education at USF Nursing gave her the tools to succeed as a nurse and as a business leader.

“I constantly get input and support from USF Nursing,” Scherer said. “I get to do something I love to do. It brings my love for nursing and my love for these cancer patients together.”

Burczyk said she is confident that Scherer and her team will make her tough journey a lot easier.

“I know I have a really good support group, so this helps tremendously,” Burczyk said.