Do you know that more than 1,000 of your colleagues and more than 100 ONS staff work for you year-round?
You probably know about the volunteer boards who govern ONS, ONS Foundation, and the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation. Add to them the members who volunteer to oversee the content planning for the annual Congress, review award and grant submissions, develop test questions for certification exams, and serve as advisors to various departments. And you also probably know your chapter leadership, and you may know a special interest group (SIG) coordinator or two.
The possibilities for members to work for the profession and advance oncology nursing are numerous. Staff are partners with members in developing innovative resources not only for members but the broader nursing community as well.
I want to talk a bit about how you are working for you. It is a reciprocal relationship, you and ONS. Think about what is available through ONS to support you in your current and future career and how you can make your ONS membership work for you. In a recent journal, you may have seen an insert that showed ONS online courses by topic and ILNA category. Many courses are on demand so you can engage in them when it is convenient for you.
Of course we have our annual Congress, but you may not be able to attend as often as you would like. We are increasing the number of sessions available through live streaming, so I hope you will experience a little of Congress from home. But I also hope you will attend the national meeting. Many employers will pay for attending a national meeting if you have a poster or presentation. Don’t think that what you do isn’t significant enough to submit an abstract. Or you may not realize that for some effort on your part, you could receive an ONS Foundation Congress scholarship that helps reduce out-of-pocket expenses.
Each month, you receive either the Oncology Nursing Forum or Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing. Each issue has a variety of must-read articles for your needs, some with a free CNE option. We are working to make it more convenient for you to find past articles, too. Have you ever wanted to ask the author a question? The corresponding author’s email address is listed on the article, and you can easily make a connection.
Your chapter and the 27 SIGs may provide specific resources to support you in your career and allow you to share your experiences and expertise with others. Less than half of our members belong to a SIG. However, we are changing the technology platform for virtual communities, and you will be able to engage in these groups more easily. Networking will be easier than ever, whether locally or nationally.
Member volunteers and staff are proud to work for you. Think about how you can work for you too and maximize your ONS experience.