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.

In 1980 when Chicago and Cleveland became the Society’s first charted chapters, ONS established a new way of connecting and supporting oncology nurses directly in their local communities. Today, more than 200 local ONS chapters are thriving throughout the United States.

In the United States, one in five adults experiences mental illness every year. Racial and ethnic populations can face particularly unique and inequitable challenges with mental illness and caring for their mental health. To raise awareness about mental health barriers in historically underrepresented groups, July is designated as National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month.

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?

Food culture—the practices, attitudes, beliefs, and networks surrounding the growing, production, distribution, and eating of food—links individuals around the world and the meaningful stories behind their favorite dishes. Your heritage may connect you to recipes that trace back generations, and the important meaning behind those meals is often rooted in tradition, celebration, and sustaining your physical and mental well-being.

Our minds often make connections between the information we consume from various sources. I recently did that with articles, news programs, and social media. First, I read a viewpoint in the American Nurse Journal titled “Do I Still Belong?” Rushton outlined the complex concept of belonging in addressing the current state of nursing and nurses leaving their jobs and the profession. She described a multidimensional concept of belonging to ourselves, our patients, our profession, and the role or position we hold.

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.

During an inspirational panel discussion at the 48th Annual ONS Congress® that moved many to tears, ONS wrapped up its Leadership Development Committee 2022–2023 Young Leaders pilot program in late April 2023.

Pittsburgh, PA, April 27, 2023—Oncology nurses, employers, and researchers are transforming cancer care every day. Today, the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) recognized 14 of those individuals with its 2023 ONS Awards during the 48th Annual ONS Congress® in San Antonio, TX.

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.

Coming to you from Congress, join us as we speak with Oncology Nursing Foundation President Laura Benson about what attendees can expect at the 48th Annual ONS Congress and how oncology nurses everywhere can support the profession.

The close of the Oncology Nursing Society’s annual business meeting on April 29, 2023, during its 48th Annual ONS Congress®, also marks an opening—it’s the moment the 2023–2024 ONS Board of Directors officially takes office.

They weren’t joking around when they said laughter is the best medicine! Laughter is a great form of stress relief and promotes your well-being, including your mental health.

Maria is a Black nurse who has worked at her institution’s cancer center for several years. She enjoys educating her colleagues about burnout and well-being to create a happier and healthier work environment and actively supports the institution’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) committee priorities and Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) nurses in practice.

Recognizing past actions, seeking forgiveness, and outlining its approach for the future, the American Nurses Association unanimously adopted a racial reckoning statement in June 2022. According to the association, the statement was the first step in acknowledging previous actions that have marginalized nurses of color and perpetuated systemic racism.

Three Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) members were honored among the highly distinguished nurse leaders inducted into the American Academy of Nursing’s (AAN’s) 2022 Class of Fellows. In total, 250 inductees—the largest cohort to date—will be recognized at the Academy’s annual conference, taking place on October 27–29, 2022, in Washington, DC.

A successful nursing career requires resiliency in the face of uncertainty, Susan Orsega, MSN, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN, director of the Commissioned Corps Headquarters, said during a career forum hosted by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke’s (NINDS’s) Building Engagement and Community for Nurses (BEACON) program in February 2022. She joined a plethora of nurse pioneers at the forum to share ways that nurses can collaborate and make significant contributions to and grow professionally in the nursing field.

African American nurse leaders in ONS have paved the way in eliminating cancer disparities, identifying and tackling social determinants of health, and providing Black communities with educational and clinical resources. Their initiatives embody the importance of well-being for Black healthcare professionals, patients, and members of the community—as well as the 2022 Black History Month theme, “Black Health and Wellness.” This year’s theme brings a national emphasis not only on the important discoveries made in science and medicine by Black researchers and healthcare professionals, but also the health and wellness of Black communities across the United States.

Fifty years ago, President Richard Nixon delivered his third State of the Union address to the U.S. Congress, boldly outlining audacious goals with major federal funding attached. Seeking $100 million for what he deemed “the war on cancer,” Nixon pledged his commitment to invest federal resources in the fight against cancer.

Nursing science research must look at the whole picture of health, including health equity, social determinants of health, and the translation of science into policy and practice, the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) National Institute for Nursing Research (NINR) said in its approach to developing the 2022–2026 strategic plan.

How does a new graduate nurse develop connections and community in the nursing world? We asked ourselves that exact question before graduating from Boise State University’s School of Nursing, where we served as copresidents of the school’s student nurses’ association. We wanted to bridge the gap between students and professional nurses, and the answer came soon after, when our local ONS chapter invited us to join and serve as student liaisons to its board of directors.

As we pass the one-year mark of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and reflect on all that has ensued since last March, human nature is to focus on our losses. By all accounts, 2020 has been a difficult period in our personal, professional, and civic lives. All of us grieve for our loved ones, patients, and the freedoms of life we have sacrificed.

Each year, February marks Black History Month: a time of celebration, recognition, and awareness of the countless accomplishments and achievements of black leaders and trailblazers throughout history. In the oncology nursing community, it’s no different. ONS’s African American leaders have made a lasting difference to patients with cancer and the professional community, paving the way for future generations and championing excellence in oncology nursing.

In 2019, an ONS project team worked with Bridgeable, a service design consultant group, to prepare a 10-year view to guide our strategic priorities. As reported to ONS members, the project identified several possible futures of oncology nursing in 2029 and how ONS could ensure oncology nursing excellence and quality cancer care in all of those futures.

Get to know Darcy Burbage, DNP, RN, AOCN^®, CBCN^®, ONS director-at-large from 2020–2023 an oncology clinical nurse specialist from Newark, DE. 

The World Health Organization’s Year of the Nurse didn’t go as planned in 2020. Instead, Americans were forced to navigate unprecedented stressors, but among the conflict, fear, and uncertainty, nursing remained the most trusted profession in the United States, earning a record-breaking 89% score on the 2020 Gallup Honesty and Ethics poll, four percentage points greater than the profession’s 2019 rating. Trust has to be earned, and not only have nurses done so, but they continue to foster and grow trust for in an unparalleled way. 

Get to know Michele E. Gaguski, MSN, RN, AOCN^®, NE-BC, APN-C, ONS Leadership Development Committee member from 2019–2022. Michele is the clinical director of medical oncology at Atlanticare Cancer Care Institute in Egg Harbor Township, NJ. 

Get to know Marlon Garzo Saria, PhD, RN, FAAN, ONS Leadership Development Committee member from 2020–2023. Marlon is an oncology clinical nurse specialist at John Wayne Cancer Institute at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, CA. 

Get to know Bertie A. Field, RN, MS, ONS Leadership Development Committee member from 2018–2021. Bertie is an oncology account manager for Jazz Pharmaceuticals in Palo Alto, CA.

Get to know Kristin Ferguson, DNP, RN, OCN^®, treasurer on the ONS Board of Directors from 2019–2021 and director-at-large from 2019–2022. Kristin is the clinical operations manager/nurse manager III at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in Washington, DC.

Get to know Martha (Marty) Polovich, PhD, RN, director-at-large on the ONS Board of Directors from 2019–2022. Marty is a part-time instructor in the Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing and Health Professions at Georgia State University in Atlanta.

Get to know Heather Thompson Mackey, MSN, ANP-BC, AOCN^®, secretary on the ONS Board of Directors from 2019–2021 and director-at-large from 2018–2021. Heather is the clinical editor in oncology for Elsevier and a nurse practitioner for Novant Health Cancer Prevention and Wellness in Winston-Salem, NC.

Get to know Anne M. Ireland, MSN, RN, AOCN^®, CENP, director-at-large on the ONS Board of Directors from 2018–2021. Anne is the executive director for community nursing practice at the City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, CA.

Since 1981, more than 700,000 Americans have died from HIV/AIDS. Nearly 32 million people have died worldwide, and experts suggest that almost 38 million are currently infected with the virus. In the decades since the disease was first discovered, HIV/AIDS treatments have advanced, providing patients with a chance to manage a once-deadly diagnosis. With an active and outspoken community of advocates, patients with HIV/AIDS have seen a swell of support.

During the Year of the Nurse, many organizations are finding ways to promote and champion the expertise and experiences that make up the most trusted profession in the United States. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) is focusing on ways nurses will affect the upcoming presidential election, ensuring nursing professionals are registered, educated, and ready to vote in 2020.

Vaping pens and other electronic smoking devices were branded as step-down strategies to help the 60 million Americans who are unable to quit traditional cigarettes. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration even supported the idea initially, but research eventually showed that vaping products contain the same or higher levels of nicotine as other tobacco products and are equally as addictive.

ONS member Donna Clark, RN, BSN, OCN®, was a dedicated oncology nurse whose impact changed the lives of countless patients with cancer for more than 30 years. Clark passed away on February 4, 2020, after a storied career as an oncology nurse and cancer survivor. Her experiences as both patient and healthcare professional allowed her to cross the gap, relate to patients, and empathize with their cancer journey. Her focus on nursing excellence left a lasting impact on the profession and resonates throughout the larger oncology nursing community.

The Woodhull Study on Nurses and the Media: Health Care’s Invisible Partner  showed that nurses were quoted in only 4% of health stories in the news media. In 2018, Mason and team published the Woodhull Study Revisited: Nurses’ Representation in Health News Media 20 Years Later. They found that after two decades, only 2% of health stories in the news media quoted nurses; although not statistically significant, the decrease is still a concern. The 1998 study identified that nurses were just starting to move into positions of authority in healthcare systems, a status that might make them more available for journalists. Yet in 2018, nurses occupied more healthcare leadership positions in diverse sectors but were still not being used as expert sources by journalists. Why?

Get to know Julie Painter, MSN, RN, AOCNS^®, OCN^®, director-at-large on the ONS Board of Directors from 2017–2020. Julie is a clinical nurse specialist/nurse practitioner at the Community Hospital of Indianapolis in Indiana.

More than engineers, accountants, professors, or police officers, nurses lead the pack when it comes to honesty and ethics, according to 2019 Gallup polling data. For 18 years in a row, nurses have been recognized as the most trusted profession in the United States—by a considerable margin, too. Ratings for nursing honesty and ethics outpaced every other profession by a wide margin, and nurses lead the next most trusted profession—engineers—by nearly 20 percentage points.

Get to know Maggie A. Smith, DNP, MSN/Ed, RN, OCN^®, director-at-large on the ONS Board of Directors from 2017–2020. Maggie is an oncology nurse navigator at the University of Chicago Medical Center in Illinois.

In celebration and recognition of Florence Nightingale’s 200^th birthday, the World Health Organization (WHO) designated 2020 as the “Year of the Nurse and Midwife.” As part of this initiative, WHO is holding seminars, publishing papers, and is developing the first-ever State of the World’s Nursing report which will release at the 73rd World Health Assembly.

Celebrations are planned around the globe for 2020 to recognize the impact that nurses make on the health and well-being of our communities. What’s the occasion? The World Health Organization has designated it the Year of the Nurse and Midwife, in honor of Florence Nightingale’s 200th birthday. This exciting year will culminate with the end of the three-year, international Nursing Now! campaign designed to raise the profile and status of nurses worldwide. And we’ll look forward to the release of the new Future of Nursing 2020–2030 consensus study from the National Academy of Medicine that will describe how nurses can help people to get and stay healthy.

After busy Thanksgiving get-togethers and frantic Black Friday, Small-Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday shopping, many people take a moment to reflect and give back to a cause that captures their passion. Dubbed Giving Tuesday, it’s a day dedicated to philanthropy and fundraising. For the first time ever, the Oncology Nursing Foundation issued a Giving Tuesday challenge to ONS chapters—a friendly competition to see which group could get the highest percentage of its membership to donate to the continued growth and excellence of oncology nursing. When all was said and done, 30 ONS chapters helped raise more than $19,000 to support the education, research, and leadership development of oncology nurses everywhere.

Connection, creativity, and change were just some of the components of the ONS Board of Directors’ third-quarter face-to-face meeting held October 31–November 3, 2019. In addition to their regular agenda, the ONS Board conducted enterprise-wide joint and individual meetings with the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation and Oncology Nursing Foundation boards.

U.S. and European oncology nurses might feel out of their element in a Russian model of nursing practice, which is considerably different than what they’re used to in their own countries. For example, Russian nurses mix all chemotherapy infusions for patients and have no access to pharmacists. Russian blood and marrow transplant (BMT) units have a much higher ratio of physicians to nurses than what’s traditionally seen in other parts of the west. But, like nurses around the world, Russian nursing professionals are keenly interested in improving their oncology practice—although they typically receive education in an academic rather than technical setting.