Denise Portz, MSN, RN, AOCNS^®, ACNS-BC, a clinical nurse specialist at the ‎Froedtert Hospital in Wisconsin, presented the findings during a poster session at the ONS 42nd Annual Congress in Denver, CO. The poster was titled “Providing Oncology Infusion Nurses Evidence-Based Guidelines and Interventions to Manage Infusion Reactions and Anaphylaxis.”

RuthAnn Gordon, MSN,FNP-BC, OCN^®, from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, and co-authors presented the findings during a poster session at the ONS 42nd Annual Congress in Denver, CO. The poster was titled “Utilizing Nurse to Nurse Handoff Communication to Manage Immune Related Adverse Events in an Outpatient Immunotherapy Clinic.”

It’s 2017, and one would think that all patients are treated equally. Nursing has certainly been educated to treat all patients with the same levels of respect and dignity and to provide excellent medical care regardless of age, race, ethnicity, or religious beliefs. In the theory of nursing, I think we all strive and believe that patients should be treated equally. However, at least for the reality of nursing that I work in, that doesn’t always feel true.

Guidelines are established as tools to enhance patient care; however, translating guidelines can be difficult. Diana Scott, RN, MHA, CPHQ, senior director of accreditation services at Vizient, and Carma Herring, RN, MS, OCN®, from the John Stoddard Cancer Center, discussed mandates from the Joint Commission and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), as well as tips for using guidelines and being compliant during a session at the 42nd Annual Congress in Denver, CO.

The opening session at the 42nd Annual Congress in Denver, CO, was a lively one, featuring a talk from ONS President Susan Schneider, PhD, RN, AOCN®, FAAN, recognition of the 2017 ONS award recipients, and a discussion from ONS Foundation President Deborah K. Walker, DNP, FNP-BC, NP-C, AOCN®, who talked about the Foundation’s goal of raising $130,000 at Congress, with $80,000 in donations already in the books. Schneider also commented that the 2017 Annual Congress has more than 4,000 attendees, which is the most the meeting has seen in a decade.

Currently, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) mandates 33 oncology-specific benchmark measures related to end-of-life care and hospice, unplanned hospital admissions (UHAs), pain, falls, medication, central venous catheter (CVC) line, pressure ulcers, tobacco cessation, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, sepsis, and function. Advanced practice nurses can play a role in achieving benchmarks and developing innovative strategies to accomplish these goals.

Stress associated with an acute myeloid leukemia (AML) diagnosis and its treatment impacts not only patients, but also their family. Limited research is available on the relationship between psychologic symptoms, stress, and family needs following an AML diagnosis.

Pain management is often necessary for patients with cancer and other high-risk conditions. Despite guidelines and treatment algorithms, caring for this patient population can be challenging. Oscar DeLeon, MD, of the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Kathleen Broglio, DNP, ANP-BC, ACHPN, CPE, FPCN, from Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, and Jennifer Grimmer, DNP, FNP-BC, of the Roswell Park Cancer Institute, discussed strategies and best practice for pain management during a session at the 42nd Annual Congress in Denver, CO.

The National Academy of Medicine’s (NAM’s), formerly known as the Institutes of Medicine, 2010 Future of Nursing report was touted as a significant shift in the nursing profession. The report provided four important milestones for the field to achieve by 2020.

Despite U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations, screening rates for smokers at high risk for lung cancer remain very low, according to the findings from a new study published in JAMA Oncology.