PITTSBURGH, PA, October 21, 2024—Effective January 1, 2025, Janine Overcash, PhD, APRN-CNP, FAANP, FAAN, will become the next editor of the Oncology Nursing Forum (Forum), the Oncology Nursing Society’s (ONS’s) scholarly, peer-reviewed research journal. Overcash began serving as editor-elect in October 2024 to facilitate the transition.
“Dr. Overcash’s extensive background in oncology nursing and geriatric oncology, along with her academic leadership, will be a strong asset to ONS and our mission,” ONS Chief Executive Officer Brenda M. Nevidjon, MSN, RN, FAAN, said. “Her expertise will help the Forum drive the translation of research into practice that enhances care for patients and communities.”
Currently, Overcash is a clinical professor in the College of Nursing at the Ohio State University (OSU) in Columbus, as well as codirector of the Academy for Teaching Innovation, Excellence, and Scholarship, which supports the creation and dissemination of educational innovations by the university’s nursing faculty. Overcash will succeed outgoing Forum Editor Debra Lyon, RN, PhD, FNP-BC, FAAN, professor and Kirbo Endowed Chair in the College of Nursing at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Lyon has served as Forum editor since 2020.
Overcash brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the Forum as its seventh editor, including 36 years of nursing practice and 31 years as an oncology nurse practitioner. At OSU, Overcash teaches nurse practitioner courses as well as scholarly and academic writing, research methods and measurement, and health care in diverse populations.
Overcash’s primary area of interest and scholarship is geriatric oncology, and in 1994, she helped to establish the first geriatric oncology program in the United States at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in Tampa, FL. Overcash previously was a geriatric nurse practitioner in the OSU James Cancer Hospital’s ambulatory breast cancer clinic, and her professional journey has followed a scholarly focus on issues affecting older patients with cancer and a deep appreciation for the value in mentorship of novice nursing scholars interested in geriatric oncology research.
Overcash said that the Forum is the first journal in which she published her work and that she is honored to serve as its editor.
“The Forum is a leading journal for oncology nursing research and provides critical insights into innovations and new research that affect patient care,” she says. “I look forward to collaborating with the Forum Editorial Board and the ONS publications team as we collectively navigate the many challenges in nursing academics and their potential effects on the Forum. I extend my gratitude to Dr. Debra Lyon for her kindness and encouragement, and to the past editors and reviewers who have continuously promoted nursing cancer research.”
Overcash also gratefully acknowledges her early-career mentors from the University of South Florida—Drs. Susan McMillan, Lodovico Balducci, and Martine Extermann—whom she says were instrumental in helping her to develop her research and writing skills.
The mission of the Forum, an official ONS publication, is to amplify oncology nursing science and support the translation of research evidence to practice and policy, with the intent to foster health equity for individuals, families, and communities affected by cancer through dissemination of research that transforms cancer care in health systems and communities.
ONS is a professional association that represents 100,000 nurses and is the professional home to more than 35,000 members. ONS is committed to promoting excellence in oncology nursing and the transformation of cancer care. Since 1975, ONS has provided a professional community for oncology nurses, developed evidence-based education programs and treatment information, and advocated for patient care, all to improve quality of life and outcomes for patients with cancer and their families. Learn more at www.ons.org.