Skip to main content
Search
News, Views, and Advocacy From the Oncology Nursing Society
ONS Voice Home
  • News & Views
  • Advocacy
  • Stories
  • item.title
  • item.title
  • item.title
  • item.title
  • item.title
    • News & Views
    • Latest Articles
    • Clinical Practice
    • ONS News
    • ONS Leadership
    Trending Topics
    • Treatments
    • Safety
    • Research
    • Standards
    • ONS Congress
    • Clinical practice
    View All Topics
    Advocacy
    • Latest Articles
    • Updates
    • Get Involved
    Stories View All
    View All
    ONS Members Recognized for Achievements in Oncology Nursing
    In The News
    ONS Members Recognized for Achievements in Oncology Nursing
    October 13, 2017
    Breast Cancer Awareness
    Breast cancer
    Why Breast Cancer Awareness Is Important All Year
    October 06, 2017
    nurses quitting smoking
    Oncology nurse scientist
    Oncology Nurses Champion Tobacco Cessation Programs
    September 29, 2017
    Nursing School
    Nursing education
    After 100 Years, Nursing School Is Both Different Yet Still the Same
    September 22, 2017
    Vicky Reiser
    Compassion fatigue
    How Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Can Reduce Compassion Fatigue
    August 29, 2017
    Search
  • News & Views
  • Advocacy
  • Stories
    • Home

    Author Content

    Recent Drug Approvals Offer New Options for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Genitourinary Cancers, and More
    Treatments

    Recent Drug Approvals Offer New Options for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer, Genitourinary Cancers, and More

    Cancer treatment options continue to multiply as 2017 continues, with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granting multiple new drug approvals and broadening indications for others. Oncology clinicians and nurses are challenged with staying abreast of treatment option expansions and navigating the dynamic field of cancer treatment to effectively navigate their patients through the treatment trajectory, educating on vital points relative to treatment, minimizing morbidity and mortality, and optimizing quality of life. Following is an overview of the latest approvals for the second quarter of 2017.

    September 27, 2017
    Chemotherapy at home
    Chemotherapy

    What Precautions and Recommendations Are Necessary for Patients Receiving Oral Chemotherapy in the Home?

    So far, 2017 has seen an incredible amount of U.S. Food and Drug Administration approvals for new agents and indications. Biotherapy and targeted agents represent many of the newly approved treatment options—a great deal of which are offered in oral form, increasing the opportunity for patients to receive treatment at home.

    September 26, 2017
    sepsis awareness
    Adverse events

    September Is Sepsis Awareness Month

    As September winds down, ONS, a partner in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) and American Nurses Association’s Nursing Infection Control Education Network, is raising awareness of Sepsis Awareness Month by highlighting resources and strategies for oncology nurses who are deeply rooted in preventing and treating sepsis in patients with cancer.

    September 25, 2017
    What Oncology Nurses Need to Know About Subcutaneous Rituxan Hycela
    Immunotherapy

    What Oncology Nurses Need to Know About Subcutaneous Rituxan Hycela

    In June 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Rituxan Hycela, a combination of rituximab and hyaluronidase, for subcutaneous administration in the treatment of follicular lymphoma and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma as well as chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). This agent affords the same clinical benefit as IV rituximab, but in much less time. With this approval comes many questions about which patients are appropriate and administration considerations for subcutaneous rituximab and hyaluronidase.

    August 24, 2017
    access device standards
    Standards

    Evidence-Based Standards Guide the Use and Maintenance of Venous Implanted Ports

    Implanted ports are an important lifeline for patients receiving antineoplastic treatments; however, despite vast nursing research on the maintenance and utilization of venous implanted ports, still so much remains to be learned. Many of the practices surrounding implanted ports remain controversial.

    August 22, 2017
    oncology patient safety in treatments
    Standards

    Using Standards Balances Technology Advancements With Critical Thinking

    Advancements in medical records technology provide safeguards and contribute to overall patient safety. However, consider the following treatment scenarios and how they may present opportunities for error and jeopardize patient safety.

    July 25, 2017
    Safe handling immunotherapy
    Safe handling

    What Safe Handling and Administration Requirements Apply to Immunotherapy?

    In a supplement to the April 2017 issue of the Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, ONS released its first set of recommendations for nurse education and safe handling principles regarding immunotherapy administration. ONS recommendations are based on best-available evidence and the anecdotal experiences of professionals at cancer centers with varied experiences in immunotherapy administration.

    June 27, 2017
    FDA Approvals for Targeted and Immuno-Oncology
    U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

    Recent FDA Approvals Continue to Focus on Targeted and Immunotherapy

    Oncology clinicians can expect to continue to see new targeted and immunotherapy drugs emerge as clinically approved agents in the fight against cancer. Five cancer-related U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvals occurred in the first quarter of 2017; following are their indications for treatment and associated clinical implications. You’ll recognize that some of the agents were already FDA approved for other uses, but as clinical trials continue and new data emerge, clinical use is expanding to other disease sites and indications.

    June 20, 2017
    Multi-Drug Resistant Fungus
    Safety

    CDC Warns Healthcare Workers of Emerging, Multidrug-Resistant Fungus

    Candida auris is a multi-drug resistant yeast that is known to cause invasive infection and death. It first emerged in June 2016 and continues to present itself as a serious global threat. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), throughout 2017, healthcare facilities in multiple countries report serious illnesses caused by C.auris in hospitalized patients.

    May 30, 2017
    administering IV chemotherapy treatments
    Treatments

    What Special Considerations Are Needed When Setting up IV Chemotherapy?

    No solid research exists regarding IV chemotherapy administration setups, because they can vary greatly based on the regimen, equipment availability, and patient status. Of the utmost importance is that the administration setup ensures chemotherapy is given safely and allows for prompt nursing intervention in the event of an adverse reaction or infiltration.

    May 23, 2017
    Standards of Care
    Standards

    How Do I Move Standards of Care Into Practice?

    April 26, 2017
    Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs
    Safety

    What Are ONS’s Recommendations for Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs?

    Research suggests that healthcare workers who handle hazardous drugs may experience acute effects such as skin rashes or more chronic effects including adverse reproductive events and malignancy. This has led numerous government agencies to make recommendations regarding the safe handling of hazardous drugs. 

    April 25, 2017
    FDA Approved Drugs
    Immunotherapy

    Recent FDA-Approved Drugs Offer More Options for NSCLC and Other Cancers

    The end of 2016 proved to be a busy and exciting time for cancer breakthroughs, seeing eight new U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approvals for immunotherapy and biotherapy. Following is a summary of cancer-related FDA approvals in the last quarter of 2016, indications for treatment, and associated clinical implications.

    March 28, 2017
    Oncology Nurse CE
    Nursing education

    How Do I Apply My ILNA Points to My Learning Plan?

    One of the questions that the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC) commonly receives from nurses who’ve completed a continuing nursing education (CNE) program is, “How do these points count for ILNA and where can I put them on my learning plan?”

    March 22, 2017
    Sepsis Identification and Early Goal-Directed Therapy
    Clinical practice

    Sepsis Identification and Early Goal-Directed Therapy

    Infection represents a leading cause of death and treatment-related toxicities among patients with cancer in the United States. It stands to interfere with antineoplastic treatment plans by forcing dose modifications, delays, or discontinuation and instead turning to a less aggressive treatment plan.

    March 03, 2017
    Chemotherapy Competence
    Clinical practice

    What Is Chemotherapy Competence Versus Chemotherapy Certification?

    The ONS clinical inbox frequently receives questions about whether nurses need to be “chemotherapy certified” to give specific chemotherapy and/or biotherapy agents.

    January 28, 2017
    Healthcare safety standards

    ONS Connects You to Cutting-Edge Standards to Support Your Practice

    Although it’s hard to find the time to do so during a busy shift, there are times when you need to consult the best practice standards to support your work for a particular process. Whether you’re considering the best procedure for a central line dressing change or accessing an implanted port, or you’re considering the verification process and the best way to administer an IV chemotherapy agent, you need to know that your policies—and the competencies which you've engrained into your memory—are evidence-based and supported by your institution and professional organizations. Quality outcomes and measurements have never been more central to health care than they are now, and ONS-developed standards go a long way to supporting your practice.
    November 21, 2016
    Patient assistance programs

    Help Your Patients Navigate the Financial Challenges of Cancer

    Every nurse has been in a situation where he or she is staring at a discharge document, thinking, “This patient will need an immense amount of outside support to adhere to this treatment plan.”
    October 04, 2016
    Clinical practice

    Addressing the Challenge of CLABSI Prevention

    The deck frequently seems stacked against oncology nurses who are striving to avoid central line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs). Consider the potential for immunosuppression, the need for prolonged central access, and the potential for poor nutritional status among our patient population, and it can seem nearly impossible to be CLABSI-free.
    September 06, 2016
    Patient safety

    Addressing the Challenge of CAUTI Prevention When Safety is at Stake

    From the day you began your career as an oncology nurse, it is quite likely that two main principles were ingrained into every aspect of your training and practice: infection prevention for our very susceptible patient population and using safe handling to reduce the risk of exposure to chemotherapy and other hazardous agents.
    August 26, 2016
    Clinical practice

    Learning More About Point-of-Care Practices for Neutropenia

    There is no doubt in the mind of oncology nurses that infection prevention is paramount to providing safe, quality cancer care. Neutropenic precautions have long been integrated into the plan of care for patients whose immune system are compromised due to cancer or cancer treatment.
    August 24, 2016
    Clinical practice

    Addressing the Challenge of CLABSI Prevention

    The deck frequently seems stacked against oncology nurses who are striving to avoid central line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs). Consider the potential for immunosuppression, the need for prolonged central access, and the potential for poor nutritional status among our patient population, and it can seem nearly impossible to be CLABSI-free.
    August 09, 2016
    Patient advocacy

    Reflecting on Medical Errors and Advocating for Change

    Mistakes happen. Unfortunately, there’s no avoiding it, no one is above it, and I'm sure we can all think of a time that we made a mistake in our nursing practice. The events following a mistake in patient care can be chaotic and emotional. But after the dust settles, what’s most important is learning how to avoid the same mistakes from occurring again, and doing all you can to prevent your fellow nurses from making mistakes in a similar situation. Think of it as primary prevention.
    June 13, 2016
    Test tubes filled with a clear liquid
    Biotherapy

    Biosimilar Treatments Have Practice Implications

    As biosimilars continue to gain popularity in cancer care, healthcare workers should be prepared to see them in their practice. Here’s what you need to know about this newer drug product.
    April 05, 2016
    Kathleen Wiley RN, MSN, AOCNS®
    Home
    News, Views, and Advocacy From the Oncology Nursing Society
  • Terms of Use
  • Contact Us
  • Conferences
  • Advertising
  • Disclosures
  • Sitemap

  • item.title
  • item.title
  • item.title
  • item.title
  • item.title
  • ONS
  • ONS Foundation
  • ONCC
    • © Copyright 2017 Oncology Nursing Society
    Back to Top ▲