Seeds Planted Today Nurture a Harvest of Future Generations of Oncology Nurses
When I saw this quote on a statue at the entrance to the National Archives, I paused to think about its meaning in relation to nursing. Each generation of nurses is the harvest of their teachers, preceptors, leaders, and colleagues, and they are also the seeds for the next generation. Specialty professional nursing organizations grew from a foundation laid by general nursing organizations, such as the American Nurses Association. The seeds of nursing go back thousands of years.
Although the development of modern nursing is credited to Florence Nightingale, archeologists and anthropologists have shown that nurturing was essential to the preservation of life even in primitive societies. Caring for those who were ill or injured helped a tribe survive. It is also possible that the seeds of medical knowledge were sown from the natural remedies that mothers used.
Throughout history, medicine and nursing have been interdependent, at times united in one practitioner but eventually divided into two practitioners with separate focuses. Nursing went through many stages of development (https://books.google.com/books/about/Nursing_the_Finest_Art.html?id=gXg7AQAAIAAJ), shaped by and contributing to culture and societal movements. Indeed, history planted the seeds that grew into Nightingale’s work and modern nursing.
The Oncology Nursing Society is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2025, and a dedicated group of member volunteers and staff is planning a variety of ways to mark this momentous occasion in our history. Their creativity and enthusiasm have resulted in activities to recognize the seeds of our specialty and celebrate our organization and oncology nursing throughout the year at both the national and local chapter level. Of course, the 2025 ONS Congress® and ONS Bridge™ will bring us together, in person and virtually, with special enhancements related to the organization’s 50 years. I hope to see many of you in Denver next April (https://www.ons.org/congress/2025/homepage) for the 50th Annual ONS Congress.
The most important seeds that we as individual nurses plant are when we embrace having students in our clinical area, precepting new graduates, and nominating colleagues for recognition. The stories we tell (https://voice.ons.org/stories) about our career can influence young people deciding their own path. Our responses to the often-asked question, “Isn’t cancer nursing depressing?” can be a positive vehicle for educating neighbors, coworkers, and the public. A familiar story nurses tell (https://www.ons.org/podcasts/episode-327-journey-student-nurse-choosing-oncology-nursing-and-value-professional-home) is that they became a nurse after a childhood experience and how they saw the nurses who cared for them.
We plant seeds every day without even knowing it. We may not know what the harvest is for years, when we become the heritage of the past. I encourage you to embrace your contributions to the future and appreciate the past that led to your profession and your specialty.