Anna Robinson, ACNP-BC
Anna Robinson is a native of Atlanta. After 13 years at The Westminster Schools, she went on to college at Vanderbilt. She pursued a bachelor's degree in Art History, graduated summa cum laude, and was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa honor society. She earned a Master of Science in Nursing degree from Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, where she specialized in Oncology. Anna is board certified as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner and enjoys serving the community in which she was born and raised.
When she is not working, Anna enjoys playing in the backyard with her sons and husband, reading fiction, and traveling.
About Me: Q&A
What is the best part of your job?
Relationships. No one really wants to be sitting in the oncologist's office, yet these remarkably courageous patients do just that, time and time again. Despite the stress of the situation, patients invite me into their lives and show me what matters to them. Relying upon the abundance of oncology research and data, I work to help a patient do what matters to them, be it to have hair when they walk down the aisle, or the strength to hold their first grandchild.
When the treatment works and the patient gets better! It's a joyful experience to give good news, like when a scan shows the disease is responding to therapy. I'm a terrible artist, but I try to draw out the anatomical locations described in the scan to help patients understand and celebrate together.
What is it like working with Dr. Sinha?
Collaborative. Before I started working with her, I saw her lecture in front of hundreds of people, a revered expert in her field. So imagine how honored I am now when she asks my opinion about clinical situations. We are continually sending articles back and forth, looking at scan images together, considering how best to approach a situation. We'll ask of each other, What am I looking at? Why did that happen? I admire how she is always learning, using her curiosity, creativity, knowledge, and experience to care for each patient as an individual.
If you could spend the day with anyone dead or alive (no relatives), who would it be and what would you do?
Glass of wine in Florence with Leonardo da Vinci, who wrote, "To develop a complete mind: Study the science of art; Study the art of science. Learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else." In oncology, I get to see scientific data and research play out in bettering a person's life, which makes for a one-of-a-kind masterpiece.
