A basic understanding of the endocrine system is helpful in assessing and monitoring patients for common side effects of cancer and its treatments, Marianne Davies, DNP, ACNP, FAAN, from Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center, said during a session held at the ONS Bridge^TM virtual conference on September 16, 2021. She provided attendees with a complete overview and associated disorders, emphasizing the need for nurses to be vigilant in watching for signs and symptoms in their patients.

When a patient’s behavior is different than what would be expected, swift identification and treatment can be critical, if not lifesaving when it comes to psychiatric disorders or symptoms, Kathleen Murphy-Ende, PhD, PsyD, AOCNP^®, PMHNP, from the University Wisconsin, said during a session September 16, 2021, for the ONS Bridge^TM virtual meeting.

Well-being is as much part of an oncology nurse’s personal protective equipment as gloves and gowns are, Lisa Blackburn, MS, APRN-CNS, PMGT-BC, AOCNS^®, from The James at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, said in a session during the ONS Bridge^TM virtual conference on September 16, 2021. Just as a construction worker needs a hard hat, safety vest, and harness, oncology nurses need equipment to protect themselves from the hazards of their work, and “it’s more than manis, pedis, and massages,” Blackburn said.

Patients with cancer may experience low levels of magnesium and potassium for a variety of reasons throughout the course of their treatment, and both conditions can be serious or even fatal. Oncology nurses are critical in educating patients and understanding the benefits and potential concerns associated with electrolyte replacement, Puja Patel, PharmD, BCOP, from Northwestern Medicine Delnor Cancer Center in Geneva, IL, said during a session during the ONS Bridge^TM virtual conference on September 16, 2021.

COVID-19 forced healthcare providers to pivot to digital health, but an estimated 70% of patients still deferred or canceled their care, including routine cancer screening. Technology is an essential tool in cancer care, according to Abigail Baldwin-Medsker, MSN, RN, OCN^®, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, who presented a session at the ONS Bridge^TM virtual conference on September 16, 2021.

New strategies are emerging to manage the complex side effects and adverse events from multiple myeloma (MM) therapies, Lorraine Mack, APN/MSN CNL, OCN^®, AOCNS^®, and Dodi Georges, MSN, CWON, OCN^®, both from Northwestern Medicine, said during a session held September 14, 2021, at the ONS Bridge^TM virtual conference. They shared best practices for nursing interventions for patients undergoing new treatment options.

To prevent life-threatening complications that could affect treatment adherence and outcomes, oncology nurses must be vigilant in early recognition and treatment of immune-related adverse events (irAEs), Lisa A. Kottschade, MSN, APRN, CNP, from Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, said during a session held at the ONS Bridge^TM virtual conference on September 14, 2021. She provided an overview of what to watch for and nursing considerations for common irAEs.

Patients reported lower levels of pain and stress after participating in virtual reality and art therapy programs, according to presenters sharing findings from two different pilot projects during the ONS Bridge^TM virtual conference on September 14, 2021.

Lack of standardized selection and maintenance regarding vascular access devices (VADs) across institutions creates challenge for nurses caring for patients with these devices, Dawn Camp-Sorrell, MSN, CRNP, AOCN^®, of Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham, said during a session held at the ONS Bridge^TM virtual conference on September 14, 2021. To help guide oncology nurses in preventing and managing complications, she provided best practices for central line bundles.

Nurses and other members of the healthcare community have both the power and responsibility to reduce disparities in access to telehealth services, Mark Rastetter, MD, Cynthia J. Sieck, PhD, MPH, and Rose Grady, FNP, said during a session held at the ONS Bridge^TM virtual conference on September 14, 2021. They shared their experience creating digital equity among patients using telehealth at Ohio State University’s (OSU’s) Wexner Medical Center.

Across the United States, White citizens are experiencing an awakening, recognizing the systematic racism that bleeds into every fabric of life, from housing and grocery shopping to education and earning an income, affecting Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). The nursing profession is part of that awakening, Marcus Henderson, MSN, RN, lecturer from the University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Family and Community Health, said as he kicked off the second-annual ONS Bridge^TM virtual conference on September 9, 2021, with a keynote session addressing racism in nursing and how nurse leaders and staff can mitigate workplace discrimination.

Scalp cooling, also known as cryotherapy, may reduce the risk of chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA) in patients with cancer, but how do you know if the therapy is right for your patients? According to speakers at an ONS Bridge^TM virtual conference session on September 9, 2021, start with the evidence.

Opioids are one strategy to help manage the cancer-related pain that nearly 75% of patients with cancer experience throughout the disease or its treatment. However, the prevalence of opioid misuse disorder (OUD) among patients with cancer is believed to be at least equal to that of the general population, Debra Rodrigue, MA, RN-BC, AOCNS^®, explained during a session for the ONS Bridge^TM virtual conference on September 9, 2021.

Nurses must serve as care coordinators for patients with genitourinary cancers because of the many tests, procedures, and self-care instructions they require, Clara Beaver, MSN, RN, AOCNS^®, ACNS-BC^®, and Joan Livingstone, BScN, RN, OCN^®, both of Karmanos Cancer Institute at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI, said during a session at a ONS Bridge^TM virtual conference on September 9, 2021. They emphasized the complexity of genitourinary cancers throughout diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. Key nursing responsibilities include communicating with the care team, referring patients to other members of the interprofessional team, and advocating for patients’ needs.

From elementary to college environments, virtual education is now commonplace, and, according to Jillian A. Russell, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, program manager at the Association for Nursing Professional Development, careful planning and creativity can make remote experiences just as—or even more—effective as traditional, in-person learning.

Nursing shortages and high rates of turnover are documented problems that negatively affect patient care and institutional costs. During a session for the inaugural ONS Bridge™ virtual conference, Christopher Brooks, MS, RN, CENP, AOCNS^®, director of  nursing professional development and education at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, outlined philosophies and programs his institution uses to recruit and retain its nursing workforce.

Oncologic emergencies require prompt intervention to achieve the best outcomes. During a session for the inaugural ONS Bridge™ virtual conference, oncology nurse innovators described their projects to develop standard protocols to manage two common oncologic emergencies: hypersensitivity reactions to rituximab and febrile neutropenia.

Only 17% of all patients surveyed have had conversations with their physicians about the end of life, experts reported. Nurses can help normalize the process of dying and facilitate such conversations.

Understanding evidence-based strategies for the management and administration of central venous catheters is crucial to the prevention of associated complications, MiKaela Olsen, DNP, APRN-CNS, AOCNS^®, FAAN, said in a presentation for the inaugural ONS Bridge™ virtual conference. Oncology nurses need to be knowledgeable about vascular access to prevent complications and ensure optimal outcomes for patients.

Cardiovascular disease and cancer, the two leading causes of mortality worldwide, share risk factors that have a direct impact on patient care and survival. During a session for the inaugural ONS Bridge™ virtual conference, Anecita P. Fadol, PhD, APRN, FAANP, FAAN, of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, discussed what advanced practice nurses need to know about the evolving specialty of cardio-oncology to improve patient outcomes.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is at the forefront of care for a specific subset of patients with cancer. However, the severe side effects of this highly specialized treatment require unique management. During a session for the inaugural ONS Bridge™ virtual conference, Kathleen McDermott, RN, BSN, OCN^®, BMTCN^®, of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, discussed how oncology nurses can temper the storm of CAR T-cell therapy.

During the current opioid epidemic, a safe, balanced approach to pain management is imperative. In an ONS Bridge presentation, Jeannine M. Brant, PhD, APRN, AOCN^®, FAAN, discussed the use of opioids in patients with cancer.

Although immune checkpoint inhibitors can be highly effective cancer treatments, potentially even curative in several disease states, they can cause immune-related adverse events in any tissue or organ system, presenters said in a session at the inaugural ONS Bridge™ virtual conference.

The National Institutes of Health Revitalization Act of 1993 mandated appropriate inclusion of minorities in all NIH-funded research. Yet more than 20 years later, vast disparities still exist in cancer research, researchers reported in a session for the inaugural ONS Bridge™ virtual conference.

“Nursing is at the forefront of symptom management, and nurse-designed interventions lead the way,” Gwen Wyatt, RN, PhD, FAAN, FAPOS, recipient of the 2020 ONS Distinguished Nurse Researcher Award, said in a session at the inaugural ONS Bridge™ virtual conference. She shared lessons from her career journey and told nurses that ONS can help them get their ideas “off the drawing board.”

By harnessing the power of a patient’s own immune system, immune checkpoint inhibitors improve antitumor immunity by blocking negative regulators (checkpoints) of T-cell function that exist on both immune and tumor cells. They essentially stop the immune system from turning off before cancer is completely eliminated.

Bullying behaviors remain prevalent in nursing, resulting in turnover, poor work performance, and emotional trauma. During a session for the inaugural ONS Bridge™ virtual conference, Terri Townsend, MA, RN, CCRN-CMC, CMSRN, of Community Hospital Anderson, and Pamela Anderson, MSN, RN, CCRN, ANP-BC, of St. Vincent Medical Group, shed light on how to eliminate this pervasive issue.

Perhaps now more than ever, oncology nurses may need to be reminded to reflect on what brings them joy and meaning in their work—and how to find it again, if they’ve lost it along the way.

The transition of chemotherapy and immunotherapy delivery from the acute care and clinic settings to the home setting has created a need for innovative strategies to keep patients safe. Today, with decreased face-to-face interactions, the need for those strategies and tools is even greater in a system reliant on multiple facilities and disciplines to collaborate care in a time when resources are sometimes scarce or minimal, Mary Jo Sarver, ARNP, AOCN^®, CRNI, VA-BC, LNC, said in an on-demand session for the inaugural ONS Bridge™ virtual conference.

Patients who receive bone marrow transplantations require vigilance for complications such as graft versus host disease, opportunistic infections, and febrile neutropenia. During a presentation for the inaugural ONS Bridge™ virtual conference, Barbara E. Wenger, DNP, APRN, AOCNS^®, CRNI, of UCHealth Metro, and Stephanie Armstrong, DNP, AGNP, NP-C, of Froedtert Hospital Clinical Cancer Center, described interventions to improve care quality in the BMT population.

As many as 50% of patients with cancer receive treatment with radiation therapy with the goal of cure or reducing pain and other symptoms. During a presentation at the inaugural ONS Bridge™ virtual conference, Sotiri Stathakis, PhD, DABR, offered nurses insights into the field from the perspective of a medical physicist.

Cancer is one of the most expensive medical conditions to treat, and patients are expected to pay more and more out of pocket. Costs often lead to financial toxicity, defined as “distress or hardship arising from the financial burden of cancer treatment,” according to Darcy Burbage, DNP, RN, AOCN^®, CBCN^®, who discussed the topic in a session for the inaugural ONS Bridge™ virtual conference.

No matter the subspecialty, advanced practice RNs have a significant role in patient treatment and care, but little data exist about their role in radiation oncology. During a presentation at the inaugural ONS Bridge virtual conference, Lorraine Drapek, DNP, FNP-BC, AOCNP^®, of Massachusetts General Hospital, and Katie Bukolt, MSN, APRN, NP-C, AOCNP^®, of Baylor Charles A. Sammons Cancer Center, discussed the nuances of advanced practice in radiation therapy settings.

Retaining a qualified nurse workforce is a constant and costly challenge for healthcare organizations. An on-demand session for the inaugural ONS Bridge™ virtual conference reviewed strategies two institutions used to address the issue.

Mylan understands that you care about your patients and that this may be a difficult time for them. Now more than ever, additional treatment options, such as biosimilars offerings may play an important role in providing patients access to medications they need.    

Nurses have a well-documented history of experiencing compassion fatigue and burnout because of the demands of the profession. The problem may be more pronounced in oncology nurses, who may feel moral distress, grief, and loss related to futility of care or death of a long-term patient.

Strong leadership is critical in redesigning health care—and nurse leaders in particular need to take responsibility for identifying problems and areas of waste, devising and implementing a plan for improvement, tracking this improvement over time, and making necessary adjustments to realize established goals.

Exposure to hazardous drugs puts healthcare workers at risk for myriad adverse effects. Until recently, consistent safety information for HD administration and disposal has been lacking. However, with USP Chapter <800> going into effect in December 2019, U.S. Pharmacopeia has changed the landscape of HD safety guidelines.

Distress, uncertainty, and barriers to care are common experiences for patients with cancer and survivors. Yingzi Zhang, PhD, RN, of the School of Nursing at the University of Rochester in New York, and Jin Young Seo, PhD, WHNP-BC, RN, of Hunter College in New York, NY, reported on their research on quality of life and access to care in vulnerable patient populations.

Immunotherapy, emerging therapies, precision health, and biosignatures are the next frontier for oncology symptom science research, specifically patient-reported outcomes and immune-related adverse events, researchers reported during a presentation on September 8, 2020, at the inaugural ONS Bridge™ virtual conference.