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Nurses Must Include Palliative Care Early for Their Patients

Palliative care

Nurses Must Include Palliative Care Early for Their Patients

November 08, 2019

Shared Structure Allows Nurses to Drive the Decision-Making Process

Shared decision making (SDM)

Shared Structure Allows Nurses to Drive the Decision-Making Process

November 01, 2019

What the First Patient I Ever Cared for Taught Me About Anxiety From New Beginnings

Oncology nurse-patient relationship

What the First Patient I Ever Cared for Taught Me About Anxiety From New Beginnings

October 25, 2019

Cancer Rehabilitation Serves a Critical Role in Patient Care

Prehabilitation

Cancer Rehabilitation Serves a Critical Role in Patient Care

October 11, 2019

Complexity Is the Cornerstone of BMT Nursing

Oncology nursing roles

Complexity Is the Cornerstone of BMT Nursing

October 07, 2019

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Oncology nursing roles

The Vital Role of Oncology Nursing in Ambulatory Care

Thanks to significant scientific and technologic advancements in the past 15 years, the majority of cancer care—an estimated 80% or higher—is being delivered in the outpatient setting.For patients, ambulatory oncology care offers comfort, flexibility, and a sense of normalcy during their difficult cancer journey while maintaining the highest-level treatment and care for optimal outcomes. Oncology nurses are key to successful outpatient care, serving as caregivers, educators, advocates, and patient champions from diagnosis through treatment and into survivorship.

November 05, 2019

Safety

Should You Wear a Gown to Disconnect Chemo?

The short answer is yes—guidelines from ONS, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and U.S. Pharmacopia all call for nurses to always wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when at risk for exposure, including disconnecting a patient’s chemotherapy. Wearing a gown and other PPE isn’t just good practice—it protects nurses at one of many touchpoints during chemotherapy administration and patient care where healthcare providers are at risk for exposure to hazardous drugs.

October 21, 2019

Quality of care

Patient-Centered Care Through the Oncology Care Model

Better care. Smarter spending. Healthier people. Those are the three hallmark goals of the Oncology Care Model, a value-based payment system developed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service’s Center for Innovation.

October 01, 2019

Safe handling

Handle With Care: How USP <800> Will Affect Nursing Practice

Police officers wear body armor and construction workers wear hard hats. Why? Because these professions carry inherent dangers in the line of duty—and oncology nursing does too. Statistically, healthcare workers face more workplace-related dangers than both law enforcement and construction, yet attention to safety and personal protection isn’t always a central focus. This can be especially true in cancer care, where nurses are required to administer hazardous drugs (HDs) and handle dangerous medications on a daily basis. Although safety recommendations exist, few enforceable standards are protecting nurses handling HDs.

September 03, 2019

Clinical practice

Older Adults With Cancer

The Baby Boomer generation—born between the years 1946 and 1964—currently accounts for more than 76 million Americans, all of whom will be older than 65 in the next decade. With an aging population comes health complications and growing comorbidities. Cancer is often referred to as a disease of the aging, and healthcare providers will need to be equipped to treat the impending wave of older adults with cancer. Oncology nurses are at the frontlines of that care and play a key role in the successful treatment of older patients with cancer using evidence-based interventions and age-specific care.

August 06, 2019

Safety

Here’s How You Can Confront Workplace Violence in a Healthcare Setting

RNs encounter workplace violence and abuse at a far higher rate than in any other profession in the United States. Although the topic is uncomfortable, it’s a very real aspect of health care for many professionals. Most nurses have likely experienced an abusive, dangerous, or violent encounter in the healthcare setting at some point in their careers.

July 05, 2019

Clinical practice

No Place Like It: Home Care for Patients With Cancer

It’s more than just four walls and a roof. Home is where most people find comfort, solace, and a sense of familiarity. It’s where the heart is, and there’s no place like it. With advancements in cancer therapies, treatment care modalities, and technology, many of today’s patients are finding they can receive a large portion of their care in the home. Home care is not a new concept—rather it’s likely the oldest healthcare setting in human history—but it can be a complex and intricate care environment, especially when addressing specific needs related to cancer treatment. At its heart are expert oncology nursing professionals who safely deliver the best possible care for their patients—in the comfort of their own homes.

July 02, 2019

Immunotherapy

Novel Therapies: How CAR T Cells and Biosimilars Are Changing Cancer Care

Clinical practice is in a constant state of evolution as new guidelines are released, drugs are approved for new indications, and technology reshapes the way care is delivered. Patients are also arming themselves with a more-advanced-than-ever knowledge and understanding of health care, and providers may be fielding new questions from patients and caregivers about novel treatments such as chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy and biosimilars.

June 04, 2019

Oncology nurse education

The Value of Oncology Nurse Certification

Oncology care is a complex field in a constant state of paradigm shifts, where new information and research affect clinical practice in countless ways. Amid rapid developments in treatments, technologies, and patient-care modalities, oncology nurses must show they’re up to date with emerging knowledge in their field. Oncology nurse certification is one way nurses can demonstrate their commitment to the art and science of patient-centered oncology care.

May 01, 2019

Safety

Prevent Important Information From Getting Lost in Translation

At the heart of patient-centered cancer care is communication and understanding, and oncology nurses have a responsibility to ensure that their patients have all the information they need to successfully navigate their cancer journey. But what happens when language barriers inhibit the flow of information between patient and practitioner?

April 25, 2019

ONS News

Miller Murphy Retires After Storied Career in Oncology

As a vanguard for oncology nursing certification and practice excellence, Cynthia Miller Murphy, MSN, RN, CAE, FAAN, executive director for the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC), is a nationally recognized expert in credentialing. Her tenure as ONCC executive director helped nurses achieve more than 100,000 different certifications to demonstrate their commitment to excellence in nursing and patient-centered care. After almost 30 years at ONCC, Miller Murphy is retiring as executive director effective April 8, 2019.

April 08, 2019

Shared decision making (SDM)

How Shared Decision Making Affects Cancer Care

“Two heads are better than one” is an idiom so old and often used that it borders on cliché. But as with most colloquial sayings, a kernel of truth is buried underneath. Combining forces to solve problems, overcome obstacles, and coordinate efforts is the key to nearly every successful endeavor, and it’s especially true for patients and providers navigating the cancer journey.

April 02, 2019

Targeted therapy

Testing in the Era of Precision Oncology

Every cancer diagnosis is as individualized and unique as the person receiving it. From family history to societal and economic background to a patient’s genetic make-up and composition, cancer affects each person with cancer differently. Initiatives like precision medicine are based in data that suggest that a personalized disease should have its own personalized treatment. As a subset of precision medicine, precision oncology assesses a patient’s unique genetic profile to help align targeted therapies to hit the right cancer subtypes.

March 05, 2019

Oncology nurse pride

Three ONS Members Selected to Inaugural Class of CNSI Fellows

To recognize outstanding contributions and excellence to the field of clinical nurse specialists, the Clinical Nurse Specialist Institute (CNSI) selected 38 nurses to its inaugural class of fellows, including three ONS members Marilyn Chrisman, MS, APRN, GCNS-BC, Patricia Geddie, PhD, CNS, AOCNSA, and Tina Mason, MSN, ARNP, AOCNA, AOCNSA. They will be among the first fellows to use the FCNS credential in practice.

March 04, 2019

Cancer health policy

Trump Promises $500 Million Increase to Pediatric Cancer Research

Pediatric cancers have more than an 80% overall cure rate, and that, at first glance, seems like something to celebrate. However, in terms of lives lost to different pediatric cancers, the American Cancer Society estimated that more than 1,100 children under the age of 15 will die from their disease in 2019—roughly one in five children diagnosed. Although survival rates are improving in cancers like acute lymphocytic leukemia and Hodgkin lymphoma, other childhood cancer types haven’t seen increased survival since the early 2000s.

February 26, 2019

Comorbidities

A Matter of Mind: When Patients With Cancer Have Psychiatric Comorbidities

Nearly 20% of Americans experience mental illness in a given year, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. With diagnoses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression, about one in every 25 Americans suffers from a serious mental illness that directly affects major life activities. The prevalence of mental illness in the United States can have a downstream effect on cancer care and patient outcomes, and with these statistics, oncology nurses may encounter patients with cancer who have pre-existing psychiatric disorders. Healthcare providers in fields outside of psychology need to be prepared to address the unique needs and individualized care required to support this patient population during and beyond cancer treatment.

February 05, 2019

Oncology nursing community

Building Collaboration, Education With Oncology Nurses in Malawi

Nestled between Tanzania and Mozambique in eastern Africa, Malawi is a country of more than 18 million citizens. It faces a unique cancer burden that’s proven challenging for practitioners and patients alike. With a high prevalence of HIV-infected individuals, Malawi sees a proportionate rate of AIDS-related cancers, including Kaposi sarcoma, cervical cancer, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Currently, healthcare professionals in the country face a lack of standardized oncology education and resources. Roughly 84% of the country’s citizens live in rural areas with limited access to healthcare institutions.

January 30, 2019

Safety

Do Cytotoxic Agents Impact Ground Soil or Well Water?

When patients go home after receiving their regimen of powerful cytotoxic agents, oncology nurses routinely encourage them to double flush after using the bathroom to ensure that trace amounts of hazardous medication are eliminated from the environment to prevent other members of the household from being exposed. But what happens with chemotherapy chemicals found in human waste as they enter a patient’s septic system—and eventually the water supply?

January 16, 2019

Cancer prevention

Cancer Prevention: Oncology Nurses Save Lives by Raising Awareness

Despite flashy television campaigns, countless pamphlets and brochures, and seemingly constant reminders, people are still unaware of important cancer prevention information. The World Health Organization estimated that 30%–50% of all cancer cases are preventable. But between modifiable behaviors, hereditary and genetic risks, infectious agents, and more, the general public finds itself mostly unprepared to tackle the cancer prevention conversation.

January 01, 2019

Health Policy

Former President Bush’s Legacy Holds Strong Commitment to Advancing Cancer Care

As a staunch advocate for the advancement of cancer treatments, research, and patient care, President George H.W. Bush left an enduring legacy through contributions to the field of oncology and health care in the wake of his death on November 30, 2018. His continued support of healthcare professionals—including oncology nurses—spoke to his administration’s focus before, during, and after his tenure in Washington, DC.

December 06, 2018

Cancer surgery

Under the Knife: Supporting Patients’ Needs Throughout Surgical Oncology Care

People often use idioms—such as “going under the knife” as a euphemism for surgery—to avoid confronting distressing situations, which is even more pronounced when it comes to life events as serious as cancer. But for many patients with cancer, undergoing a surgical procedure is key to positive outcomes, and they count on the expert clinical care and support of their surgical oncology nurses to see them through it.

December 04, 2018

Oncology nurse-patient relationship

How Oncology Nurses Provide Quality Care Through Telephone Triage

As a direct line to the oncology team, the phone conversations between nurses and their patients can help address symptoms, foster valuable patient education, provide useful interventions, encourage side effect reporting, and identify potentially life-threatening situations. Ultimately, successful telephone triage requires a unique skill set for oncology nurses to communicate with their patients and recognize underlying issues.

November 06, 2018

Oncology nursing community

ONS Is Proud to Be Part of a City Stronger Than Hate

On an unseasonably warm Saturday in October, Pittsburgh, PA, was struck by one of the United States’ greatest tragedies in recent history. The shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Squirrel Hill—a quiet, unassuming neighborhood in the heart of the city—sent shockwaves through the community, the country, and the world. On October 24, 2018, one man’s attack violently stole 11 lives from the Jewish community.

November 05, 2018

Health Policy

Oncology Nurses Make Impact During ONS’s Hill Days

The breadth of understanding that can come from a face-to-face conversation is hard to underestimate. More than 100 oncology nurses discovered the power of advocacy, education, and one-on-one conversations during ONS’s 2018 Capitol Hill Days in Washington, DC.

October 25, 2018

Cancer moonshot

ONS Member Receives Biden Cancer Initiative’s FIERCE Award

As a continuation of the National Cancer Moonshot legacy, the Biden Cancer Initiative (BCI) announced its inaugural roster of FIERCE Award recipients, naming 10 transformative healthcare professionals and institutions who have driven change and positively impacted the lives of their patients with cancer. For her work as an oncology nurse navigator and her accomplishments in patient navigation, ONS member Cynthia Cantril, RN, OCN^®, CBCN^®, MPH, was named one of the BCI’s FIERCE Award recipients at the Biden Cancer Summit Welcome Reception in Washington, DC, on September 20, 2018.

October 05, 2018

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Chris Pirschel ONS Staff Writer

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