In my college town in Iowa, I met a remarkable graduate student from Kenya who was pursuing a master’s degree in aerospace engineering. His story started in high school, where his journey took a devastating turn after he was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma, initially localized to his left thigh. After completing treatment, he was declared cancer-free, but he lost track of follow-up care upon moving to the United States for his studies. Six years later, the cancer recurred, now metastatic.   

Every nurse has a story. Whether orally or in writing, sharing your story is a powerful way to connect with others and highlight the unique aspects of oncology nursing. As a nurse, you may want to express why you’re passionate about your work, how a certain patient made an impact on you, or how cancer care has evolved. No matter your story, here’s how you can tell it effectively. 

“You will never know it all, but you can know where to look.” 

This is a phrase, or some iteration of it, that I find myself saying often to novice oncology nurses as I meet with them during orientation, especially during that week 4 one-on-one when the scope of information oncology has to offer feels like a daunting hurdle for them to conquer in 12 weeks. 

Lawmakers in Congress haven’t left themselves much choice if they want to fund the government and prevent a government shutdown in a few months: They’ll need to kick the can down the road. The House left Washington last week, and the Senate will soon follow, with scant progress made toward passing the 12 annual spending bills, or appropriations, that keep vital agencies and government programs running. Current federal financing expires September 30, the end of the 2024 fiscal year.

When my mother died 10 years ago, I found an index card on which she had written a saying she titled “A High Calling.” It described parents’ important role in raising the next generation, their children. That message also applies to the preparation of the next generation of a profession, such as oncology nursing—beyond formal prelicensure education.

In some roles, nurses spend more time sitting at a desk than they do standing on their feet. Practicing self-care through appropriate ergonomic practices is essential. Neglecting proper ergonomics can lead to musculoskeletal discomfort, fatigue, and even long-term health problems. Read on for practical ideas on how to optimize workstations, maintain appropriate posture, and incorporate frequent breaks into daily routines to improve their overall well-being.

The Biden administration asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit by anti-smoking groups demanding that it end nearly a year of delay and ban menthol cigarettes, which are used disproportionately by Blacks and younger people. In a Thursday night court filing, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said the delay was not unreasonable because it had yet to determine that a ban was “appropriate for the protection of the public health.”

Storytelling, which has benefits for nurses’ own well-being as well as their relationship with their patients, creates a social connection that fosters a sense of community and mutual support in the storyteller and listener. Inspired by ONS’s annual storytelling session at ONS Congress^®, the Midwest Region Oncology Nursing Grand Rounds at Advocate Health hosted a special oncology grand rounds on nurse storytelling. 

My undergraduate alma mater is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Their communications recognize its history and remind alumni of the phrase one university president frequently used to describe the university: outrageous ambition.

Nearly 50% of nurses who leave the profession say they chose to do so because of burnout or insufficient staffing, according to the results of a new survey that nurse researchers reported in JAMA Network Open.

Writing about your experiences as an oncology nurse for ONS Voice is easier than you may think! In this video, longtime ONS Voice contributor Suzanne M. Mahon, DNS, RN, AOCN^®, AGN-BC, FAAN, outlines the process and provides ideas and tips to get started.

Nurses are at the top of the U.S. public’s list of high-quality healthcare providers, according to the results of a new Gallup poll assessing opinions about the care provided in the U.S. healthcare system.

If you feel that the hours in your day are all work and no play, you’re not alone. More than 20% of RNs reported working 41–50 hours per week on the 2022 National Nursing Workforce Survey—a statistic that’s increased since the 2017 and 2020 surveys, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing and the National Forum of State Nursing Workforce Centers said. Nurses are already overworked and burned out, and well-meaning consumer health media suggestions to simply “practice work–life balance” may add feelings of stress and inadequacy.

The next step for Congress: Cutting a separate deal on twelve individual pockets of money—before any bill can be written, with a shutdown looming. Congressional appropriators are sprinting to turn two big funding totals into 12, after party leaders secured a deal on a government funding framework over the weekend. For weeks, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s staff have haggled over budget totals for the military and domestic programs—only to wind up with the same funding limits set by last summer’s bipartisan debt agreement.

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Many employers are beginning to learn that lesson about alternative funding programs, but patients are the ones bearing the brunt of the burden. Oncology nurses have a responsibility to understand that lesson, too—and the power to promote awareness and change. 

Whether as a whisper or a roar, a voice is simply a composition of unique sounds that produces a multitude of meanings. However, all voices should be heard. In particular, those who advocate for and provide care to people with cancer should bellow their voices broadly to improve quality of life and outcomes.

Part of the very nature of our humanity, every one of us will experience some form of misfortune, grief, or sadness throughout our lives. In what may seem like impossible conditions, many of us doubt whether we can find any joy or peace. Although ordinary human beings can rise to such challenges in extraordinary ways, a nurse coach can provide the necessary care and guidance to help nurses achieve that and be better able to care for others.

Burnout knows no borders. The nursing workforce crisis cares little about country lines or continents. Regardless of their time zone, nurses in all settings are leaving the profession. “Healthcare systems are ailing, and they are in urgent need of healing. [We] call to action health system executives and other leaders to support, promote, and enable bold experiments to avert additional personnel losses and improve patient outcomes,” ONS member Christopher Friese, PhD, RN, AOCN^®, and colleagues wrote in a July 2023 NAM Perspectives commentary.

Although Filipino Americans represent about 1% of the U.S. population, the community comprises a comparatively high 4% of the nursing workforce. October is Filipino American History Month, a time to recognize and honor the amazing history and journey of the Filipino American nursing community.

Well before the trauma, stress, and burnout from COVID-19, the nursing profession was facing a national workforce shortage. Decision-makers and the advocacy community—including ONS—have had serious policy discussions on how to blunt the impact on the patient population, including promoting federal investments at the Health Resources and Services Administration for more than a year. In August 2023, the Biden-Harris Administration responded, announcing a $100 million awards program to stem the tide.

Healthcare workers are five times as likely to experience workplace violence as other workers, according to government data. In a National Nurses United survey in 2022, 40% of hospital nurses said they’d seen an increase in violent incidents. Karen Coughlin, chair of the Massachusetts Nurses Association’s workplace violence and abuse prevention task force, joins John Yang to discuss.

Interacting with animals can have positive effects on our well-being, including easing loneliness and reducing stress. To bring those benefits to patients in a healthcare setting, institutions may employ service or therapy dogs. But those pups don’t brighten days for patients alone—they also spread joy to healthcare staff, including nurses. To honor those helpful hounds, September is National Service Dog Month. 

Leadership Development Committee (LDC) members are responsible for ensuring effective succession planning for the Society through assessing interested members’ readiness for Board service using established criteria and a comprehensive vetting process. The LDC identifies candidates who best align with the Board’s needs and ONS’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

Ensuring that advanced practice RNs (APRNs) can deliver care to the full extent of their training and licensure is one way to remove barriers that limit patients’ access to high quality cancer care. In support of that goal, U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) reintroduced the Improving Care and Access to Nurses Act in July 2023. U.S. Representatives Dave Joyce (R-OH), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Jennifer Kiggans (R-VA), and Lauren Underwood (D-IL)—all members of the Congressional Nursing Caucus—introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives in April 2023.

Summer is a time to get outside, relax, and enjoy the fresh air. Whether it’s the mood boost from daylight exposure or increasing your body’s production of vitamin D, soaking in the sunniest of seasons supports our well-being.

Nurses often cite the fact that the profession is the most trusted, according to Gallup polls—as if that is enough to validate our profession’s status. Although the COVID-19 pandemic raised awareness for frontline workers, only recently have we begun to understand the nurse’s value in the health policy environment. Nurses have a real voice at the decision-making table, and Healing Politics’ Campaign School for Nurses and Midwives is helping to make strides.

I always wanted to be a nurse, but it was unattainable for me as a single mother until online programs became available in the mid-2000s. I was a nursing assistant for 18 years before I became a nurse in 2015.

Think back to the moment you successfully passed your initial nursing licensure exam to begin your journey as a licensed nurse. How did you feel? Did you know that you wanted to become an oncology nurse?

Honoring the important contributions of nurses, U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) and U.S. Representatives Dave Joyce (R-OH), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Jen Kiggans (R-VA), and Lauren Underwood (D-IL) introduced a bipartisan, bicameral resolution to recognize National Nurses Week.

People have practiced meditation for centuries, possibly thousands of years. Although meditation can take many forms, all are generally backed by the idea of connecting your mind to your body, which can calm you and enhance your personal well-being.

Listening to educational podcasts improves oncology nurse learners’ knowledge of managing treatment-related adverse events by 11%–27% and safety by 24%, researchers reported during a podium presentation at the 48th Annual ONS Congress® in April 2023.

When more than 3,000 oncology nurses gather together for ONS Congress^®, the energy is electric. We just concluded our 48th annual conference in San Antonio, TX, and I am honored to now serve as your next president. If you attended, I hope that you were able to rejuvenate, refocus, and revitalize and enjoyed meeting new oncology nurses and connecting with colleagues, as I did, celebrating each other and our profession while taking advantage of important nursing continuing professional development opportunities. If you weren’t able to attend this year, visit ONS Voice’s conference section to watch video news reports of ONS Congress’s key moments.

As I reflect on my year as ONS president from 2022–2023, my heart is filled with gratitude for the ONS Board of Directors members, staff, and members at large who contribute to the greater whole of what we know as ONS. Our organization is thriving thanks to teamwork at all levels. Ronald Reagan once quoted a sign he looked at daily that says, “There is no limit to what we can do or where we can go if we don’t mind who gets the credit.” Likewise, it’s truly a collective team that makes things happen in ONS.

Caffeine is an integral part of daily life for many. Food and beverage manufacturers are capitalizing on our consumption beyond daily cups of coffee, putting the stimulant in everyday foods like donuts and bottled beverages, including water. However, too much caffeine may affect our health, leading the Caffeine Awareness Alliance to designate March as National Caffeine Awareness Month. You’re in good company if you use caffeine as a regular way to start your day, but here are some strategies if you want to cut back.

From supporting the studies that led to the COVID-19 vaccine to championing diversity in the National Institutes of Health itself, women are making a difference in NIH’s halls, divisions, and programs. The agency is highlighting some of its female leaders throughout Women’s History Month in March in the Record, an NIH publication. The first feature includes a board-certified pediatrician and pediatric hematologist/oncologist who shared their experiences and wisdom and offered insight into their careers in science and medicine.

According to the World Health Organization, cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for nearly 10 million deaths each year. That alarming statistic reminds us that we are part of a global network of oncology nurses caring for those diagnosed with cancer. For many people in low- to middle-income countries, late-stage disease, premature death, and pain and suffering are common. Opioids and supportive care medications are sometimes sparse, and clinicians lack the knowledge and resources to provide palliative care.

The nursing profession both rewards and challenges me: Like many of you, I give so much of myself, but sometimes I’m running on reserve. Over the years, I have been asked how I keep it together and stay calm. As I reflected on such questions, I realized that I unconsciously practice mindfulness throughout my day.

Reading is ubiquitous in life: Whether it’s to learn or understand something at work, to identify the right item at the grocery store, or to simply unwind at home, we regularly find ourselves reading many times throughout the day. But intentionally escaping to the pages of a great book can help improve our personal and professional well-being.

In the final days of 2022, as the world turned the calendar to celebrate a new year, the cancer advocacy community also celebrated: One of ONS’s longtime priority bills, the Lymphedema Treatment Act, achieved a landmark legislative win, passing the U.S. Senate as part of the fiscal year 2023 omnibus funding package. President Biden signed it into law on December 29, 2022, securing access to treatment supplies for patients with cancer-related lymphedema.

From the workforce to the populations that the discoveries support, America’s science and technology ecosystem is in dire need of diversity and equity, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy said. In December 2022, it launched an action plan to create avenues in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine for previously excluded communities.

To uncover what you value and whether your ONS membership is currently meeting your needs, ONS surveys its members every January. Your responses help us understand how you experience ONS and what is important to you as well as the challenges you face and the skills you need for the future. This year, 1,068 of you returned your surveys, and I am grateful that you took the time to provide your feedback.

Oncology nurses recognize the value of mentorship in their practice, crediting it to bridging knowledge gaps, identifying best practices, building confidence, and providing a rock and safe person to go to. January is National Mentoring Month, and we’ve asked ONS members to share their own experiences that have helped them grow professionally and personally.

In the years following their initial licensure, nurses will often pursue certification. Obtaining certification shows a nurse’s commitment to their profession, specialty, and patients. Along with showing their commitment, certifications validate a nurse’s qualification and knowledge of a specific area.

Happy New Year, oncology nursing colleagues! When I enter a new year, I like to ponder all of the positivity that it can bring.

Midterm elections occurring halfway through a U.S. president’s first cycle are a referendum on that administration’s policies. Unable to take out their frustrations directly with the country’s chief executive, voters historically punish the president’s party at the ballot box. Still, politics is about people, and political scientists discourage attempts to quantify reactions and unexpected results. November 2022’s realignment of the federal power structure was an expected outcome.

Making a commitment to equip today’s and future nurses with the knowledge they need to deliver safe, high-quality care, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Health Resources and Services Administration, awarded $13 million in October 2022 to programs to improve access to. The awarded funds are part of a series of investments the Biden-Harris Administration earmarked to support pathways to nursing jobs.

Self-reflection is natural as we transition between years, and sometimes doing so can be difficult. Brains seem to really like to hold onto the lows, but give yourself equal time to celebrate the highs you experienced this year and reflect on all you’re grateful for as you get ready for another trip around the sun.

When a year winds down, we often find ourselves reflecting on our key moments, events, and accomplishments. Although our challenges from COVID-19—and now the flu and RSV—remain, ONS, the Oncology Nursing Foundation, and the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation are proud of serving and supporting you this year. We celebrate your commitment to the profession, to your continued career development, and to our organizations.

The holiday season is an opportunity to unwind, practice well-being, give thanks, and—this month in particular—acknowledge your gratitude for people, circumstances, items, and other things you value and appreciate in your life. Whether you’re celebrating in person or virtually, coming together and spending time with your loved ones is both exciting and overwhelming. Indulge a little, but support and prioritize well-being for both yourself and your loved ones with healthy renditions of your favorite or traditional holiday side dishes.