Kathleen Shannon Dorcy, PhD, RN, FAAN
Kathleen Shannon Dorcy's story probably isn't the kind you think about when you imagine a nurse and their daily job duties. As a nurse, she has cared for cancer patients, but she also teaches, mentors, researches, leads departments, administers programs, and publishes articles. She works across clinical, research, and educational institutions -- and around the world. She is also a former nun.
"We are blessed to have been a part of the life journey for all who come here."
— Dr. Kathleen Shannon Dorcy
Dr. Dorcy's Story
Growing up in Bellevue, Washington, her mother was a teacher and her father a civil engineer. After attending Newport High School in Bellevue, Dr. Dorcy became a nun, serving for several years with the Dominican Community of Sisters (now called the Adrian Dominicans) in Edmonds, WA. She felt instead called to the field of nursing, and after attending North Seattle Community College (now North Seattle College) and earning her nursing license, she worked briefly at a nursing home. To deepen her training, she returned to school to achieve a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Philosophy from Seattle University. At the beginning of her nursing career, Dr. Dorsey worked first in orthopedics and then in pediatrics at Swedish Hospital (Seattle, WA), working with children who received bone marrow transplants.
In 1989, she transitioned from clinical nursing to research at Fred Hutch, working with bone marrow transplant researcher Dr. Fred Appelbaum (now Executive Vice President and Deputy Director) as his oncology nurse and research coordinator for immunotherapy clinical trials and other studies with pediatric patients. At the same time, she returned to school to earn a Master's in Nursing in Community Health and Ethics from University of Washington. Later, she returned to school again to achieve a PhD in Nursing from the University of Utah.
Her sources of inspiration? With a grandmother and sister who both worked at a children's hospital, Dr. Dorcy was inspired by their stories and commitment to their work. A lifelong learner, Dr. Dorcy notes that other nurses who she met over her career inspired her to continue to study, take classes, and build her skills in nursing, as well to expand her study of ethics and clinical decision making. She has now been working in oncology nursing for over three decades.
Dr. Dorcy currently holds several professional titles. She is the Director of Research Education and Clinical Practice at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, a Staff Scientist at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, an Associate Teaching Professor at the University of Washington - Tacoma, and a Nurse Scientist who leads the Department of Scholarship, Education, and Programmatic Development. The "FAAN" at the end of her name indicates a high honor. In 2017 Dr. Dorcy was selected as a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing.
As a professor and nursing educator, Dr. Dorcy is training the next generation of oncology nurses. She supervises nursing students while they do their clinical rotations at Fred Hutch clinics. She teaches college courses at the University of Washington's Tacoma campus, including classes in ethics, medical decision making, communications, and a new Population Health course that helps nursing students understand health inequities in cancer and cancer care for people of color, including barriers to care for early diagnosis and treatment.
She also supports the continuing education of nurses throughout their own professional careers. For example, she coordinates educational opportunities for nursing staff in Seattle as well as networks across Hawaii, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Dr. Dorcy also mentors other nurses and scientists as they write manuscripts for oncology journals to share their research findings, and present talks and scientific posters at conferences, such as national oncology meetings.
Dr. Dorcy was recognized with the 2022 Connie Henke Yarbo Excellence in Cancer Nursing Mentorship Award for her outstanding work as an oncology nurse mentor who is committed to helping with the career development of oncology nurses.
With her involvement in Global Oncology at Fred Hutch, Dr. Dorcy's work extends beyond the Seattle area. She has worked at the Uganda Cancer Institute, training nurses, designing an oncology nursing curriculum, and helping to build capacity for cancer care for the people of Uganda, a country in East Africa.
What is the best part of her job across all these different roles and institutions? The favorite part of her job is caring for the staff who care for their patients, with their shared dedication to improving cancer outcomes. "We are at the cutting edge of science and we work with people and families who have been diagnosed with cancer," she said. "We always work to succeed in getting the cancer into remission, but we always are present with the individuals throughout the course of their treatment," she explained.
During her career, Dr. Dorcy has witnessed and helped usher in enormous changes in the field of pediatric oncology and oncology nursing, greatly improving outcomes for children with cancer. Dr. Dorcy explained that in the 1960s, Dr. Don Thomas and Dottie Thomas (known as the father and mother of bone marrow transplantation) were "working to change the survival rates for children with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) from about 2%." Now, she explains, "thanks to his leadership and science in transplantation those children have about 98% survival rate." Dr. Thomas was awarded a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1990 for his groundbreaking work.
Advice for Students
Her advice for high school students? "Listen to your heart and follow your dreams. Working in oncology care is a wonderful challenge, a true gift of hope and intellectual accomplishment."
Personal Life
Dr. Dorcy is married to a former Jesuit priest and has two children. Her sister works at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. Some of Dr. Dorcy's favorite pastimes include reading and attending classical music concerts.
"We have a motto of BETTER TOGETHER and I feel that intensely when I work at my day-to-day job."
— Dr. Kathleen Shannon Dorcy
U.S. Wage Information
According to the 2023 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics:
- The median wage for registered nurses in the U.S. is $86,070
- The median wage for medical scientists in the U.S. is $100,890.
Credit: Thank you to Dr. Dorcy for graciously participating in this project. In addition, the following sources provided helpful information for building this profile: "Five Minutes with Kathleen Dorcy", Fred Hutch, 2016; "Seattle Cancer Care Alliance Nurse Selected as Fellow - American Academy of Nursing," Fred Hutch, 2017; "ADS Associate Awarded with Lectureship in Honor of Her Work with Cancer", Adrian Dominican Sisters, 2019; "Pursuing a Calling: From Convent to Cancer Care," Oncology Nursing News, 2018; "Visions of a 'Shared Community' Inspire SCCA Leaders to Partner with Ugandan Nurses," Fred Hutch, 2019. Career profile written by Dr. Kristen Clapper Bergsman.