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    When the Provider Becomes the Patient: What I Learned From COVID-19
    COVID-19
    When the Provider Becomes the Patient: What I Learned From COVID-19
    June 24, 2022
    The Case of the Late Head and Neck Lymphedema
    Clinical practice
    The Case of the Late Head and Neck Lymphedema
    June 20, 2022
    Our Patients Give Us Peace in Unexpected Circumstances
    Oncology nurse pride
    Our Patients Give Us Peace in Unexpected Circumstances
    June 17, 2022
    Behind Our Masks, I See You, I Hear You
    COVID-19
    Behind Our Masks, I See You, I Hear You
    June 10, 2022
    Connect With Your Patients on a Human Level as Well as a Healthcare Level
    Oncology nurse-patient relationship
    Connect With Your Patients on a Human Level as Well as a Healthcare Level
    June 03, 2022
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    Nurse well-being

    Self-Affirmations Build Your Personal and Moral Resiliency
    Nurse well-being

    Self-Affirmations Build Your Personal and Moral Resiliency

    Positive phrases or statements that challenge negative or unhelpful thoughts can motivate you, encourage positive lifestyle changes, and boost your self-esteem. Repeat self-affirmation mantras regularly to fully reap the benefits of this practice and make long-term changes to the way you think and feel.

    June 29, 2022
    Rest, Unwind, and Reflect so You Can Lead by Example
    Nurse well-being

    Rest, Unwind, and Reflect so You Can Lead by Example

    Many nurses, even those in leadership, believe in the misconception that well-being is an indulgence or luxury they cannot afford, but this simply isn’t the case: it’s an investment that can improve your effectiveness, especially as a leader. 

    May 31, 2022
    Spring Clean Your Home and Heart
    Nurse well-being

    Spring Clean Your Home and Heart

    Slowing down to recenter can often feel unrealistic amid a nurse’s competing priorities. However, cultivating internal and external stability can improve life at the bedside and beyond. A clean home and heart can make it easier for us to navigate day-to-day responsibilities and engage in the love and relaxation we deserve as the day winds down.

    May 26, 2022
    Empower Your Nurses With Appreciation in Celebration of Oncology Nursing Month
    Nurse well-being

    Empower Your Nurses With Appreciation in Celebration of Oncology Nursing Month

    With ONS celebrating Oncology Nursing Month throughout May and recognizing National Nurses Week from May 6–12, it’s a season for nurses everywhere. Celebrate yourself, your colleagues, and the profession by empowering the incredible nurses caring for patients across the globe.

    April 28, 2022
    Younger Nurses Are Leaving the Profession Because of Emotional Health
    Nurse well-being

    Younger Nurses Are Leaving the Profession Because of Emotional Health

    Young nurses are “less emotionally healthy and less optimistic about the future,” even after accounting for age and years of nursing experience, according to findings from a 2022 study conducted by the American Nurses Foundation. High levels of burnout correlate with drones of professionals leaving the nursing field, the foundation said in its Pulse on the Nation’s Nurses Survey Series: COVID-19 Two-Year Impact Assessment Survey.

    April 07, 2022
    The Historic Art of Paper Folding Can Also Enhance Healing
    Nurse well-being

    The Historic Art of Paper Folding Can Also Enhance Healing

    Paper folding, also known as origami, has roots in several cultures, including Japanese, Chinese, and European. Origami’s exact origin is unknown. Although we have no concrete evidence of origami existing before 1600, a reference to origami butterflies in a 1680s poem suggests that it was an established art form with much older origins.

    March 24, 2022
    American Rescue Plan Funds Will Reduce Burnout, Promote Mental Wellness Among Healthcare Workforce
    Nurse well-being

    American Rescue Plan Funds Will Reduce Burnout, Promote Mental Wellness Among Healthcare Workforce

    The United States is investing $103 million to improve healthcare worker retention and respond to the ongoing nursing workforce shortage by reducing burnout and promoting mental health and wellness for healthcare professionals, particularly those in underserved and rural communities, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said in January 2022.

    March 23, 2022
    Music Reminds You of the Love You Deserve
    Nurse well-being

    Music Reminds You of the Love You Deserve

    Does hearing a certain song suddenly energize you or make the day seem brighter? There’s a reason for that. Music can have a powerful effect on our well-being and is a tool nurses can use to help take care of their mental health.

    February 24, 2022
    COVID-19’s Impact on Our Nursing Leaders
    COVID-19

    COVID-19’s Impact on Our Nursing Leaders

    Rewind. I adjust the strap on my mask and pinch it tightly around my nose and move it just under my lower eyelashes to prevent my goggles from fogging. These days, I am grateful for the face cover as it hides the pallor from six months in and the dark circles from long hours and anxious sleep. I wait at the valet circle for my team. Another SOS text out to them this morning. All hands on deck.

    February 14, 2022
    ANA Advocates to Prioritize Healthcare Workers’ Safety After CDC’s Updated Guidance
    COVID-19

    ANA Advocates to Prioritize Healthcare Workers’ Safety After CDC’s Updated Guidance

    In late December 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released updated COVID-19 guidance, shortening the recommended time for isolation for those who tested positive for COVID-19 to five days followed by five days of wearing a mask when around others. Organizations that advocate for the well-being of healthcare professionals, such as the American Nurses Association (ANA) voiced their concerns and urged national leaders to prioritize those on the frontlines.

    February 11, 2022
    Bolster Your Team for Better Well-Being
    Nurse well-being

    Bolster Your Team for Better Well-Being

    Nurse burnout can only be addressed at the health system level, and beginning in your unit is one way to get that process started.

    January 06, 2022
    Mental Health Teams Build Programs That Prioritize Staff Well-Being
    Nurse well-being

    Mental Health Teams Build Programs That Prioritize Staff Well-Being

    Given the inherent nature of caregiving, burnout has been part of the nursing profession since the beginning. As the complexities of the profession increase, so do nurses’ vulnerability. Oncology nurses have multiple physical, emotional, and mental demands, which, if left unaddressed, can lead to burnout, compassion fatigue, and moral distress.

    January 04, 2022
    Show the World Your Beautiful Mess
    Nurse well-being

    Show the World Your Beautiful Mess

    Embracing—not judging or hiding—our flaws and vulnerabilities makes us happier and more relatable, a research-supported concept called the beautiful mess effect. What we think are negatives or weaknesses, others see as courageous. Showing vulnerability can lead to stronger relationships, increased self-esteem, and better mental health.

    December 30, 2021
    How Nurses Can Monitor and Strengthen Their Mental Health
    Nurse well-being

    How Nurses Can Monitor and Strengthen Their Mental Health

    As nurses, the inclination to nurture and care for others is in our nature, yet sometimes we forget to care for ourselves. That’s an easy routine to fall into, but optimizing our mental well-being improves both the quality of care we provide and our overall health. So today, right now, is all about you. Here are four simple, sustainable ways you can safeguard your mental health, which includes your emotional, psychological, and social well-being, amid the ever-present chaos.  

    December 17, 2021
    Live a Life in Balance
    Nurse well-being

    Live a Life in Balance

    Although you may not always believe it, living a balanced life is not out of reach. Nurses have a variety of ways to achieve daily balance and well-being, both informally and through dedicated programs. Today, institutions and nursing organizations alike are prioritizing initiatives to support and strengthen nurses’ well-being.

    November 25, 2021
    Find Solace in Silence
    Nurse well-being

    Find Solace in Silence

    A balanced life allows us to function at our best. Our bodies do that naturally through homeostasis, a familiar term from nursing school, by self-regulating physiological processes to ensure equilibrium and optimal functioning. But our brains sometimes need help to self-regulate, and one way to do that is to practice silence. After a day of noise and action, silence and solitude can calm and restore you.

    October 28, 2021
    HRSA Releases Health Workforce Projections and Dashboard
    Nurse staffing

    HRSA Releases Health Workforce Projections and Dashboard

    Tracking health workforce projections, such as supply and demand of healthcare professionals by discipline, and studying how funding, policies, and programs affect those levels, can “inform public policy to help prevent shortages and surpluses,” the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced in September 2021. To achieve that, HRSA created a new dashboard that uses projections from the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis, based on the Health Workforce Simulation Model (HWSM).

    October 27, 2021
    It Takes a Team to Confront Moral Distress
    Compassion fatigue

    It Takes a Team to Confront Moral Distress

    Unbearable levels of stress, burnout, frustration, disappointment, and even fear are plaguing today’s healthcare providers more than ever before. But for oncology nurses, moral distress and compassion fatigue have always been in the background when caring for patients with a serious illness.

    October 12, 2021
    Lessons From Our Olympians Apply to Nurses, Too
    ONS CEO

    Lessons From Our Olympians Apply to Nurses, Too

    The Olympic Games are about inspiration: individual and team athletic achievement, well-earned medals from rigorous and lengthy training, and underdog stories of joyful winners. Many of those lessons learned during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics have meaning for us as nurses.

    October 11, 2021
    Can Compassion Bust Burnout and Restore Resilience?
    Nurse well-being

    Can Compassion Bust Burnout and Restore Resilience?

    Stress is a normal and necessary part of life. However, prolonged emotional tension takes stress to a new level for many people, including oncology nurses. But what is the antidote to cumulative pressure? The evidence for compassion’s benefits during stress is compelling.

    September 30, 2021
    ONS Bridge

    A Deliberate Well-Being Plan Protects You From the Hazards of Your Work

    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 BridgeTM 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.

    September 16, 2021
    Nursing Shortage Is a National Crisis, ANA Tells HHS
    Nurse well-being

    Nursing Shortage Is a National Crisis, ANA Tells HHS

    The nursing shortage has reached dire proportions and more needs to be done to ensure the United States has the nurses we need to care for the public, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, the American Nurses Association (ANA) said in a September 2021 letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) urging the agency to declare the shortage a national crisis and to take action against it.

    September 14, 2021
    It’s Okay to Put Yourself First Sometimes
    Nurse well-being

    It’s Okay to Put Yourself First Sometimes

    Are you at—or well over—the brink of burnout? Do you feel like you give, give, give and cannot find the time to refill? Those are common feelings for nurses, whose profession is a service to humanity. Although our work is rewarding, it’s also physically, emotionally, and mentally draining. Never feel guilty or judge yourself for stepping away and taking time for yourself—it’s essential to maintain the high level of care you provide every day.

    August 26, 2021
    The Seven Dimensions of Rest
    Nurse well-being

    The Seven Dimensions of Rest

    Sleep and rest are two different concepts. Society focuses on sleep, but rest is just as important, and not just for the physical body. Rest allows us to nurture our physical, mental, emotional, sensory, creative, social, and spiritual self. Each of those dimensions needs to be consciously rested for a person to truly feel restored.

    July 29, 2021
    Strong Social Relationships Strengthen and Sustain You
    Nurse well-being

    Strong Social Relationships Strengthen and Sustain You

    Social distancing was never intended to be social isolation, but many of us have struggled to maintain relationships in today’s world. Human beings are built to be social, and science has shown that building strong, meaningful relationships can get us through tough times, provide physical and mental advantages, and make us happier. Perhaps a silver lining of the pandemic is a newfound appreciation for social connections with friends, colleagues, and community.

    June 24, 2021
    Conflict Engagement Helps Providers Focus on Care
    Clinical practice

    Conflict Engagement Helps Providers Focus on Care

    Nurses have an innate drive to improve healthcare delivery. When I was a unit director, I focused on nursing unit turnarounds to improve quality of care. I used mediation as the model for resolving long-time conflicts and provided training to effectively engage and communicate. I started my mediation practice in 2003 to help physicians, nurses, and administrators resolve the complex issues that get in the way of patient care and create stressful work environments.

    June 15, 2021
    Multimethod Approach Supports Providers’ Mental Health During COVID-19
    Research

    Multimethod Approach Supports Providers’ Mental Health During COVID-19

    Providing variety of methods and approaches allows healthcare workers to choose the best options for them to mitigate and treat psychological distress from the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, researchers said in a preliminary report published in the Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety.

    June 02, 2021
    The COVID-19 Pandemic Fast-Tracked Our Growth as Nurses
    COVID-19

    The COVID-19 Pandemic Fast-Tracked Our Growth as Nurses

    For the past 15 months, healthcare providers across the country risked their lives to care for those who needed us most. After spending more than a year at the forefront of a global health crisis, many of us, naturally, harbor feelings of stress and anxiety. Now that the world is returning to something resembling normal, we can pause, reflect, and observe how much we’ve all grown throughout this experience.

    May 21, 2021
    Time in Nature Is Time Well Spent
    Nurse well-being

    Time in Nature Is Time Well Spent

    “Nature alone cures,” Florence Nightingale instructed her fellow nurses in Notes on Nursing—and we’ve continued to follow that principle, creating a healing environment for our patients that involves fresh air and sunlight. That same environment can promote health in nurses as well.

    April 29, 2021
    ONS Congress

    The Key to Managing Moral Distress During a Pandemic? Resiliency

    Oncology nursing has always been a challenging career with many stressors, but the moral distress brought on by a global pandemic has increased rates of depression, anxiety, and professional burnout among nurses, Patricia Jakel, RN, MSN, AOCN®, and Devin Ballentine, RN, BSN, both of UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center, said during a session for the 46th Annual ONS Congress™ on April 22, 2021.

    April 22, 2021
    ANA: Nurses Should Remember the Importance of Self-Care
    Nurse well-being

    ANA: Nurses Should Remember the Importance of Self-Care

    Nurses are selfless caregivers. However, compared to the average American, they are more likely to be overweight, have higher levels of stress, and get less than the recommended hours of sleep. Long shifts and work hazards only exacerbate nurses’ propensity for those factors. In response, the American Nurses Association (ANA) is raising awareness for nurses to think about themselves.

    April 06, 2021
    Don’t Get Trapped in the Pitfalls of Perfectionism
    Nurse well-being

    Don’t Get Trapped in the Pitfalls of Perfectionism

    Having high expectations can motivate you to achieve your very best. In the extreme, however, aiming for perfection can be dangerous to your mental health. In a 2015 TED Talk, self-proclaimed perfectionist Petra Kolber passionately revealed that despite being at the top in her field in the fitness industry, she felt her best was never good enough and she lived a joyless life. 

    March 16, 2021
    Self-Care Is Essential When Working Remotely
    Nurse well-being

    Self-Care Is Essential When Working Remotely

    Did you ever imagine that you could do your job remotely? I did not, but that’s what I’m doing right now. Working remotely has become the new normal for certain professional roles, including some in nursing. An estimated 31% of new hires since March 2020 work from home. In February 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released social distancing guidelines and recommended the use of telehealth for patient visits. In March 2020, telehealth visits increased 154% compared to March 2019. Working at home has affected both healthcare workers and patients.

    February 25, 2021
    COVID-19’s Implications for People With Cancer and Oncology Nurses
    COVID-19

    COVID-19’s Implications for People With Cancer and Oncology Nurses

    Since the World Health Organization declared it a pandemic on March 11, 2020, the COVID-19 coronavirus—the greatest global public health emergency in a century—has disrupted or delayed many aspects of life, including cancer care. But it’s also opened new opportunities for nursing innovation and brought much-needed change to health care. Here’s where we are one year later.

    February 16, 2021
    Pandemics Have Serious Psychological Implications for Nurses
    Nurse well-being

    Pandemics Have Serious Psychological Implications for Nurses

    Watching patients—or even colleagues—suffer or die, not being able to protect yourself with the right personal protective equipment, worry about exposing loved ones, and the challenge of balancing it all contribute to an immeasurable psychological burden for nurses and other healthcare professionals during a pandemic. Studies show that the effects are serious, leading to post-traumatic stress, anxiety, depression, and, in some cases, suicide among providers.

    February 09, 2021
    How Enhancing Your Career Benefits Both Your Patients and Yourself
    nursing professional development

    How Enhancing Your Career Benefits Both Your Patients and Yourself

    Caring for patients with cancer is a complex subspecialty of nursing. In most of their day-to-day work, oncology nurses function independently and require time management, communication, and prioritization skills in addition to extensive clinical knowledge and expertise.

    January 05, 2021
    How to Establish a More Compassionate Workplace
    Nurse well-being

    How to Establish a More Compassionate Workplace

    A career of more than 40 years provides experiences and insight that can help nurses prioritize self-care, be more resilient, and stay positive during stressful times. During an on-demand session for the inaugural ONS BridgeTM virtual conference in October 2020, Susan Childress, MN, RN, former director of nursing at Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) in Salt Lake City, UT, and recipient of the 2020 Mara Mogensen Flaherty Memorial Lectureship, offered advice for oncology nurses in maintaining compassionate care and resiliency in practice.

    December 21, 2020
    Nurses Account for Largest Group of Healthcare Providers With COVID-19 Infections
    COVID-19

    Nurses Account for Largest Group of Healthcare Providers With COVID-19 Infections

    Nurses on the front lines of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic are at greater risk of infection than other clinicians, according to the COVID-19 Associated Hospitalization Surveillance Network, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report. Nurse-related occupations, including nurses and certified nursing assistants, represent the largest proportion (36%) of healthcare providers hospitalized with COVID-19. The national survey brought to light what many nurses may have already known: nursing as a profession bears the brunt of the pandemic.

    November 27, 2020
    Intuitive Eating Creates Healthy Food Rituals
    Nurse well-being

    Intuitive Eating Creates Healthy Food Rituals

    Food connects us to other cultures, helps us celebrate life’s milestones, and nourishes our body. We spend hours of our day planning meals, cooking, and eating. With food at the center of our lives, a positive view of it promotes health and well-being, but many of us struggle with eating behaviors and weight management throughout our lifetime.

    November 17, 2020
    Use the Nursing Process to Create a Self-Care Plan
    Nurse well-being

    Use the Nursing Process to Create a Self-Care Plan

    Current events have given us an opportunity, and sometimes even a necessity, to rethink our well-being approaches. But developing a self-care plan doesn’t have to be overwhelming when you use a familiar method like the American Nurses Association’s nursing process.

    October 15, 2020
    What It Feels Like to Be a Nurse of Color
    Culture of safety

    What It Feels Like to Be a Nurse of Color

    I was born in India but came to the United States of America when I was 16 years old to be with the rest of my family. Having been an American citizen for 20 years, I have called this country home for most of my life. However, I still feel like an outsider and the workplace is no exception.

    October 09, 2020
    How Will You Define Your New Normal?
    Nurse well-being

    How Will You Define Your New Normal?

    The phrase “a new normal” is used in the oncology setting to describe the changes a person faces as a result of cancer and its treatments. Physical and emotional scars plus activity limitations are examples of adjustments cancer survivors make as they define what will be their new normal. But in today’s media, the new normal is being used to label the changes the world’s population is facing as a result of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

    September 24, 2020
    ONS Bridge

    Finding Joy and Meaning in Work Promotes Resilience in Oncology Nurses

    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.

    September 10, 2020
    ONS Bridge

    How to Establish a More Compassionate Workplace

    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.

    September 08, 2020
    PTSD Is More Common Among Nurses Than You May Realize
    Nurse well-being

    PTSD Is More Common Among Nurses Than You May Realize

    Almost 96% of nurses report experiencing at least one symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and nearly 21% meet the criteria for a clinical diagnosis of PTSD, according to findings from a literature review published in the Journal of Clinical Nursing.

    August 26, 2020
    If You’re Trying to Be Productive, Stop Multitasking
    Nurse well-being

    If You’re Trying to Be Productive, Stop Multitasking

    When it comes to the human brain, the ability to effectively multitask is a myth. Although computers can run two or more programs simultaneously, our brains must task-switch, and in the transfer of attention, time and productivity are lost. Monotasking, or single tasking, is now considered a way to increase productivity and actually maximize time.

    July 30, 2020
    How to Practice Self-Care During Times of Uncertainty
    Nurse well-being

    How to Practice Self-Care During Times of Uncertainty

    Uncertainty prevails in times of crisis. Patients with cancer are all too familiar with the initial uncertainty surrounding a cancer diagnosis, treatments, and adjusting to a new normal. Oncology nurses are seeing parallels with the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic as people worldwide face the unknowns of a health threat and the economic aftermath of the outbreak. Medical caregivers are confronting it head on as they work together to protect and tend to the physical and psychosocial needs of others.

    June 25, 2020
    The Emotional Burden of COVID-19 Almost Made Me Leave Nursing
    Nurse well-being

    The Emotional Burden of COVID-19 Almost Made Me Leave Nursing

    Life can steer you down a road that changes your impressions and view of the world. Without conscious awareness, it distorts comprehension and challenges you to change or be a byproduct of the times. Fighting to go back in time can destroy your life, livelihood, and career.

    May 29, 2020
    Be Honest: Are You Getting Enough Sleep?
    Nurse well-being

    Be Honest: Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

    A full night’s sleep is a necessity, not a luxury, yet many people place sleep at the end of their priority list. Rather than seeing it as restorative, they think it takes up precious time to be productive. Many proudly proclaim, “You can sleep when you’re dead,” but ignoring healthy sleep habits can actually bring people closer to that end. Insufficient sleep is so pervasive in the United States that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers it a public health epidemic.

    May 28, 2020
    The Evidence for Herbal Supplements for Immunity and Stress During COVID-19
    COVID-19

    The Evidence for Herbal Supplements for Immunity and Stress During COVID-19

    As the world embarks on unprecedented research efforts to prevent and treat the COVID-19 coronavirus, patients with cancer and healthcare providers alike may be interested in using herbal products to boost their immune system or relieve anxiety and stress. However, finding accurate information is challenging: no herbs have been scientifically proven to prevent or treat COVID-19, and some may even cause harm.

    April 29, 2020
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