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    Innovative Oncology Nurses Break Down Communication Barriers for Patients Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
    Special Populations
    Innovative Oncology Nurses Break Down Communication Barriers for Patients Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing
    March 10, 2023
    How I Practice Mindfulness as an Oncology Nurse
    Nurse well-being
    How I Practice Mindfulness as an Oncology Nurse
    March 03, 2023
    Clinical and Pharmaceutical Nurse Educators Collaborate to Bring Training to Nurses and Improve Patient Care
    Oncology nurse education
    Clinical and Pharmaceutical Nurse Educators Collaborate to Bring Training to Nurses and Improve Patient Care
    January 13, 2023
    Oncology Nurse Uses Retirement to Help Patients and Healthcare Professionals Understand Pancreatic Cancer Biomarker Testing Results
    Pancreatic cancer
    Oncology Nurse Uses Retirement to Help Patients and Healthcare Professionals Understand Pancreatic Cancer Biomarker Testing Results
    November 11, 2022
    The Life of Marie Curie and Her Contributions to Oncology
    Cancer treatments
    The Life of Marie Curie and Her Contributions to Oncology
    November 07, 2022
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    Oncology nursing roles

    Clinical and Pharmaceutical Nurse Educators Collaborate to Bring Training to Nurses and Improve Patient Care
    Oncology nurse education

    Clinical and Pharmaceutical Nurse Educators Collaborate to Bring Training to Nurses and Improve Patient Care

    In 2022 we celebrated the National League for Nursing’s Year of the Nurse Educator, but nursing staff recognize and thank nurse educators for their critical role in training and support year in and year out. Oncology nurses in particular rely on nurse educators to stay updated as treatments and patient care constantly evolve—and that requires a multipronged approach. All aspects are covered when clinical nurse educators and pharmaceutical nurse educators come together to deliver training for today’s cancer therapies.

    January 13, 2023
    Oncology Nurse Navigator Roles Are Transforming Cancer Outcomes for Underserved Rural Patients
    Nurse navigator

    Oncology Nurse Navigator Roles Are Transforming Cancer Outcomes for Underserved Rural Patients

    Underserved, rural, and economically disadvantaged patients with cancer who are under the care of an oncology nurse navigator are better prepared to begin treatment and require fewer services than non-navigated peers, according to study findings published in the Oncology Nursing Forum (ONF). Authors Williams et al. said that their results indicate greater patient satisfaction.

    December 08, 2022
    Travel Nurses Bring Beneficial and Important Skills for Patient Care
    Oncology nursing roles

    Travel Nurses Bring Beneficial and Important Skills for Patient Care

    The oncology nursing profession has many different paths that allow people to provide care in various ways. Some may work in clinics, others in hospitals, and some as travel nurses.

    December 06, 2022
    Nontraditional Oncology Nursing Roles
    Oncology nursing roles

    Nontraditional Oncology Nursing Roles

    As cancer care evolves, so do new opportunities for nursing roles. Oncology nurses in any role provide essential cancer care, including addressing disparities and social determinants of health and reducing financial toxicity. However, what sets nontraditional nursing roles apart are the populations they care for, how they provide that care, and how they’re overcoming systemic disparities to ensure that all patients with cancer have equal access to high-quality oncology care.

    December 06, 2022
    Oncology Nurse Uses Retirement to Help Patients and Healthcare Professionals Understand Pancreatic Cancer Biomarker Testing Results
    Pancreatic cancer

    Oncology Nurse Uses Retirement to Help Patients and Healthcare Professionals Understand Pancreatic Cancer Biomarker Testing Results

    In June 2021, I was at a crossroads in my career. I had been an oncology nurse practitioner for the past 14 years, and it was time to decide if I should retire as a provider. Yet I felt like I still had more to do and more patients to help. I was determined to make a difference for patients with cancer.

    November 11, 2022
    Oncology Nurses’ Role in Translating Biomarker Testing Results
    Genetics & genomics

    Oncology Nurses’ Role in Translating Biomarker Testing Results

    As oncology biomarker testing becomes a routine part of clinical practice, so does first-line use of their associated targeted therapies such as monoclonal antibodies, checkpoint inhibitors, and tyrosine kinase inhibitors.

    September 15, 2022
    Climate Change Is Contributing to the Cancer Burden, and Nurses Must Take Action
    Oncology nursing roles

    Climate Change Is Contributing to the Cancer Burden, and Nurses Must Take Action

    Climate change affects more than weather patterns or the environment; it also has a substantial impact on human health. Its contribution to the cancer burden includes increased levels of carcinogens, comorbidity factors, cancer incidence, and cancer mortality and reduced access to care.

    April 12, 2022
    Nurses Share Career Advice, Growth Opportunities at BEACON Career Forum
    nursing professional development

    Nurses Share Career Advice, Growth Opportunities at BEACON Career Forum

    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.

    April 05, 2022
    The Oncology Nurse’s Role in Identifying Patients for Cancer Genetics Counseling
    Genetics & genomics

    The Oncology Nurse’s Role in Identifying Patients for Cancer Genetics Counseling

    During personal and family medical history assessments, many patients report multiple cancer diagnoses in their family or concerns that other family members might be at increased risk for developing cancer. Patients and families might also ask their nurse about risk or parameters for genetic testing. Timely and appropriate referral to genetics professionals for counseling and possible testing for germline risk of malignancy enables individuals at increased risk to follow recommended surveillance and consider surgery and other preventive strategies, ultimately decreasing their risk of cancer-related morbidity and mortality.

    March 31, 2022
    Nursing Roles in Clinical Trials
    Oncology nursing roles

    Nursing Roles in Clinical Trials

    Clinical trials provide evidence to support what you do in your work as a nurse every day. They are tools to discover new therapies and identify side effects while considering patient-specific factors like age, comorbidities, race, and sex. They build support for best practices in treatment and patient care.

    December 07, 2021
    Nursing Informaticists Are the Backbone of Technology-Driven Care
    Oncology nursing roles

    Nursing Informaticists Are the Backbone of Technology-Driven Care

    Emerging healthcare technologies require a significant investment in time, money, and training. It starts with ensuring that quality improvement efforts are consistent to support positive clinical and patient outcomes, which is why clinical and information technology (IT) representation is critical in making decisions and exploring solutions. Nursing informatics bridges that gap.

    August 03, 2021
    ONS Congress

    As New Roles Emerge, APRNs Have More Opportunities in Cancer Care Than Ever Before

    Oncology advanced practice RN (APRNs) are in an ideal position to put their leadership, clinical practice, critical thinking, and organization management expertise to use in new ways to advance and add value to cancer care. During her April 20, 2021, session at the 46th Annual ONS Congress™, Rosanne Casal, DNP, APN-BC, AOCNP®, from University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center in Cleveland, OH, shared three examples: benign hematology, ambulatory acute care, and bone marrow biopsy. 

    April 20, 2021
    Oncology Nurses Have a Role in Genomics Throughout the Cancer Care Continuum
    Genetics & genomics

    Oncology Nurses Have a Role in Genomics Throughout the Cancer Care Continuum

    Cancer genomics influences all oncology nursing roles. Walking through the cancer care continuum shows how genomics—and oncology nursing—are involved at every level.

    November 26, 2020
    New NINR Director Celebrates Health Equity and Diverse Nursing Roles
    Oncology nursing roles

    New NINR Director Celebrates Health Equity and Diverse Nursing Roles

    Patients throughout the United States still face persistent inequities across the healthcare continuum because of social determinants of health and inequity in research, Shannon N. Zenk, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN, director of the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) recognized.

    October 26, 2020
    Brain Tumor Navigator Role Bridges the Intersection of Cancer and Neuroscience
    Nurse navigator

    Brain Tumor Navigator Role Bridges the Intersection of Cancer and Neuroscience

    My role as a nurse navigator, for both patients with cancer and in the neuroscience arena, is the culmination of a 40-year career in oncology nursing. I got my start in nurse navigation 11 years ago. At the time I was working in Hoag’s brain tumor program and noticed that those patients had needs that we weren’t meeting. So, I shared my concern with the program directors and today Hoag continues to develop its brain tumor navigator role.

    September 29, 2020
    Nurses Have a Critical Role in Responding to COVID-19, NAM Says
    COVID-19

    Nurses Have a Critical Role in Responding to COVID-19, NAM Says

    Nursing’s role in health equity, public health emergencies, and COVID-19 is a critical issue for updates to its Future of Nursing 2020–2030 report study, the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) said during a webinar on August 20, 2020, that sought public input on nurses’ roles in responding to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

    September 24, 2020
    New Roles in Oncology Nurse Navigation
    Nurse navigator

    New Roles in Oncology Nurse Navigation

    In the 30 years since its inception in 1990, oncology nurse navigation has continually evolved and grown in response to patient and healthcare needs.

    September 01, 2020
    Telehealth Boom Opens New Roles for Oncology Nursing
    Oncology nursing roles

    Telehealth Boom Opens New Roles for Oncology Nursing

    Seemingly overnight, many patients went from viewing telehealth as an intimidating frontier to embracing it with gusto. Fortunately, health care has prepared for years to put the infrastructure and people in place to support telehealth expansion.

    July 15, 2020
    How DNA Sequencing Technologies Are Used in Cancer Care, Now and in the Future
    Genetics & genomics

    How DNA Sequencing Technologies Are Used in Cancer Care, Now and in the Future

    Genomic testing identifies germline or inherited DNA changes that increase a person’s cancer risk, and it also can identify or profile the somatic or acquired changes in a tumor that guide selection of appropriate targeted therapies. The latter type of genomic testing is an analysis of DNA sequence information.

    February 20, 2020
    How Oncology Nurses Can Support Patients During Financial Toxicity
    Patient financial advocacy

    How Oncology Nurses Can Support Patients During Financial Toxicity

    As groundbreaking yet high-cost cancer treatments make their way into clinical practice, the effects of financial toxicity can put a damper on the profound effects that new, lifesaving medications can have on patients with cancer. It’s a problem that even Washington, DC, hasn’t been able to address—so what can oncology nurses do about it?

    November 12, 2019
    What Is the Difference Between Genetics and Genomics?
    Genetics & genomics

    What Is the Difference Between Genetics and Genomics?

    Genetics versus genomics: Is there a difference? Does it even matter? There is, and it does. In our era of precision medicine, also referred to as individualized or genomic medicine, being able to differentiate the terms is a first step in establishing a foundational understanding of what they mean for cancer care from prevention to treatment.

    November 07, 2019
    The Vital Role of Oncology Nursing in Ambulatory Care
    Oncology nursing roles

    The Vital Role of Oncology Nursing in Ambulatory Care

    Thanks to significant scientific and technologic advancements in the past 15 years, the majority of cancer care—an estimated 80% or higher—is being delivered in the outpatient setting.For patients, ambulatory oncology care offers comfort, flexibility, and a sense of normalcy during their difficult cancer journey while maintaining the highest-level treatment and care for optimal outcomes. Oncology nurses are key to successful outpatient care, serving as caregivers, educators, advocates, and patient champions from diagnosis through treatment and into survivorship.

    November 05, 2019
    What the First Patient I Ever Cared for Taught Me About Anxiety From New Beginnings
    Oncology nurse-patient relationship

    What the First Patient I Ever Cared for Taught Me About Anxiety From New Beginnings

    I remember my first day as a student nurse technician at an academic medical center as if it was yesterday. It was a Saturday afternoon shift in May 1996 on 10 Green at Harper Hospital in Detroit, MI, on a hematology unit that cared for patients with either malignant hematology (i.e., leukemia and lymphoma) or benign hematology conditions (e.g., sickle cell disease).

    October 25, 2019
    How Can Electronic Health Records Help Nurses Implement OCM Changes?
    Medical reimbursement

    How Can Electronic Health Records Help Nurses Implement OCM Changes?

    The Oncology Care Model (OCM) is a value-based payment system that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is piloting. OCM focuses on decreasing the cost of cancer care while continuing to provide high-quality care, including a high level of care coordination and navigation and adherence to national guidelines for care. Part of OCM requires implementing certain practice changes, including documenting a 13-point care plan for each patient.

    October 14, 2019
    Complexity Is the Cornerstone of BMT Nursing
    Oncology nursing roles

    Complexity Is the Cornerstone of BMT Nursing

    You’re juggling three patients: one is nauseated and requesting lorazepam now, another’s blood transfusion is finished and the pump’s alarm is loudly chirping down the hall, the third has an order list coming in like rapid fire—and it’s only 8 am. In a blood and marrow transplant (BMT) unit, this sounds like a relatively calm morning.

    October 07, 2019
    Patient-Centered Care Through the Oncology Care Model
    Quality of care

    Patient-Centered Care Through the Oncology Care Model

    Better care. Smarter spending. Healthier people. Those are the three hallmark goals of the Oncology Care Model, a value-based payment system developed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service’s Center for Innovation.

    October 01, 2019
    Sex Is an Important Dimension of Cancer Psychosocial Care That We Need to Stop Neglecting
    Sexual/reproductive issues

    Sex Is an Important Dimension of Cancer Psychosocial Care That We Need to Stop Neglecting

    My charge nurse approached me and told me that I am getting an admission from the emergency department who presented with high blood pressure and shortness of breath. She told me that the patient is on concurrent chemoradiation therapy and has a rectal cancer.

    July 26, 2019
    How to Prepare for a Career in Oncology Nursing
    Nurse staffing

    How to Prepare for a Career in Oncology Nursing

    Oncology care is one of the most challenging, yet rewarding, nursing careers that offers opportunities to care for patients in all stages of life. It’s a chance to help guide and support your patients through one of the most difficult times in their lives and be inspired by their determination, hope, and faith.

    July 10, 2019
    No Place Like It: Home Care for Patients With Cancer
    Clinical practice

    No Place Like It: Home Care for Patients With Cancer

    It’s more than just four walls and a roof. Home is where most people find comfort, solace, and a sense of familiarity. It’s where the heart is, and there’s no place like it. With advancements in cancer therapies, treatment care modalities, and technology, many of today’s patients are finding they can receive a large portion of their care in the home. Home care is not a new concept—rather it’s likely the oldest healthcare setting in human history—but it can be a complex and intricate care environment, especially when addressing specific needs related to cancer treatment. At its heart are expert oncology nursing professionals who safely deliver the best possible care for their patients—in the comfort of their own homes.  

    July 02, 2019
    Opioids Have Been a Healthcare Concern Since the 1980s
    Pain management

    Opioids Have Been a Healthcare Concern Since the 1980s, but Here’s How Nurses Can Help

    Although the opioid crisis was formally labeled a public health emergency in late 2017, excess drug abuse beyond prescription directions has been a public health concern for much longer—since the 1980s, in fact. At the November 2018 Center for Advancing Palliative Care Annual Seminar in Orlando, FL, speakers Lynn Hallarman and Mary McPherson presented a session on how the opioid crisis came to be and what our role as nurses is in changing culture and ultimately addressing it.

    January 22, 2019
    The Integrative Oncology Nurse: New Role for a New Era in Cancer Care
    Complementary therapy

    The Integrative Oncology Nurse: New Role for a New Era in Cancer Care

    When patients or loved ones receive a cancer diagnosis, they often experience fear, worry, and a desire to do everything possible to increase the chance of survival. It is also a pivotal time for patients to assess their well-being and lifestyle and make positive changes. For many, complementary therapies become part of their cancer care journey. Internationally, 40% of patients with cancer have reported using complementary therapies to address cancer-related symptoms, improve the effectiveness of conventional treatments, and provide hope.

    November 15, 2018
    Consider a Role in Clinical Trials Research as an Evolution of Your Nursing Career
    Oncology clinical trials

    Consider a Role in Clinical Trials Research as an Evolution of Your Nursing Career

    Nurses can do it all. After all, the often-unsung heroes of health care use their unique skills to positively impact patients and their families in more ways than most people can ever imagine. Unfortunately, role confusion and a lack of awareness of a vital specialty have led to a dire need of nurses in clinical trials.

    July 13, 2018
    Put Evidence Into Practice to Prevent Infection
    Putting evidence into practice (PEP)

    Put Evidence Into Practice to Prevent Infection

    Because of immunosuppression from cancer or its treatment, patients are at a higher risk for viral, bacterial, and fungal infections. Patients who develop infections may experience dose delays or reductions that compromise optimal treatment outcomes, resulting in higher mortality rates, longer hospitalizations, and higher cost of care.

    April 10, 2018
    ONS Congress

    Organizations Define Care Coordination and Transition Management Nursing Roles

    Each year, the ONS Board of Directors sponsors a session at the ONS Annual Congress on a particularly important, high-impact topic. During a session at the 42nd Annual Congress in Denver, CO, the leadership chose the up-and-coming nursing role of care coordination and transition management.

    July 01, 2017
    Nursing Competencies
    Safety

    Competencies Create Expert, Accountable Nurses Delivering Quality Care

    When the National Academy of Medicine, formerly the Institute of Medicine, released its 2010 report, The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, it cited a need for improvement in nursing education and practice through the implementation of nursing competencies.

    April 03, 2017
    Genetics & genomics

    How Do You Bridge Oncology Nurses and Genetic Counselors?

    Assessing a patient’s risk for cancer is an exciting area for collaboration between oncology nurses and genetic counselors. Oncology nurses have a very specialized skill set, and genetic counselors can complement it.
    November 01, 2016
    Clinical practice

    Embracing Quality Manager Roles

    Florence Nightingale, a forerunner of evidence-based practice, linked sanitation to morbidity and mortality rates. Her initiatives, such as simple hand washing, remain standards today. The attention and implementation of quality standards have helped change and shape the way our healthcare system grows to keep patients safe.
    October 06, 2016
    Chemotherapy

    Verification Nurses Identify Chemotherapy Order Errors and Improve Patient Safety

    In 1995 when a patient died from a chemotherapy overdose at a major medical center, many cancer centers began reexamining their processes for safe chemotherapy administration and putting measures in place to reduce errors.
    May 10, 2016
    Oncology nurse pride

    Saluting Nurse Educators

    ONS looks to nurse educators and thanks them for the great service they provide members and nurses around the world. ONS facilitators teach courses that provide incredible learning opportunities to oncology nurses looking to raise the level of care they provide to patients with cancer.
    May 02, 2016
    Clinical practice

    Outpatient Staffing Model Improves RN Roles and Functionalities

    Nursing responsibilities vary across different oncology infusion centers in the United States. A standard staffing model to provide efficiency of clinical services and patient safety currently does not exist, and the variability of roles can lead to unnecessary costs to the healthcare system. A recent study sought to define the roles of infusion nurses to create efficiencies within the clinical setting, potentially reduce RN staffing requirements, achieve cost savings, and develop a targeted nurse-to-patient ratio that also maintains quality care.
    April 25, 2016
    Oncology nursing roles

    The Significance of Being an Oncology Nurse

    I recently read the book Service Fanatics by Jame Merlino, MD, Chief Experience Officer (CXO) at Cleveland Clinic. Merlino’s role focuses on “putting patients at the center of everything we do.” This concept isn’t new to oncology nurses. I daresay the people we care for are always our focus. Their vulnerability reminds us of our own, and we feel it's a privilege to be part of their journey. 

    April 20, 2016
    Oncology patient practices shared decision making
    Oncology nursing roles

    Making Treatment Decisions Together

    Patients who use shared decision making are more often satisfied with their outcomes, even when met with unexpected or unfavorable side effects. Oncology nurses at any practice level can actively participate in the shared decision making process; if you haven’t been involved in shared decision making before, here’s what you need to know to get started.
    February 02, 2016
    Clinical practice

    What It Takes to Be an Infusion Room Nurse: Part Two

    In part one of this blog, I attempted to clarify the clinical role of an oncology infusion room nurse. Excellent clinical skills paired with diverse social skills make this nursing job so unique. Nursing school and clinicals do not fully prepare us for the job, because these skills are developed through on-the-job training. Outpatient nursing requires different skills than inpatient.

    January 18, 2016
    Clinical practice

    What It Takes to Be an Infusion Room Nurse: Part One

    What do a rituximab reaction, ice fishing, chest pain, knitted chicken sweaters, hospice, and transportation all have in common? These are examples of the diverse issues, topics, and situations outpatient infusion RNs may encounter on any given day.
    January 18, 2016
    Care coordination

    Nurse Practitioners Are Oncology's Best Kept Secret

    “She is super smart, highly qualified, and handpicked by your physician.” Our patient care coordinator often says this when she's on the phone talking face-to-face with patients to set up their next office visit. She encourages patients to accept their upcoming appointment with our nurse practitioner.
    May 07, 2015
    Nurse well-being

    Reduce Stress and Free Up Brain Power by Using This One Incredibly Easy Process

    The incredibly easy process of making a task list may be something you already do, both in your work and personal life, but lists deserve a quick review of why they are so effective and how they free up working memory—which ultimately reduces stress and improves patient care and workplace interactions.
    September 15, 2014
    Clinical practice

    How Do You Define the Role of a CNS?

    Although I’ll soon be representing the CNS role, I still have trouble defining it, especially to my patients. This problem isn't unique to me, and it’s hurting the profession as a whole.
    July 17, 2014
    Increasing need for oncology nurses
    Oncology nursing roles

    Oncology Nurses Continue to Reinvent Themselves for the Future

    Nurses are in high demand. Since 2000, the nursing profession has grown so steadily that it’s outpaced the growth of the U.S. population. Over the past decade, 500,000 new RNs joined the ranks, an increase of 24%.
    December 03, 2013
    Nurse staffing

    Do You Dread the Night Shift?

    Oh, shift work, I hate you one minute and love you the next. When I am working 9–5, I find myself reminiscing about my days off during the week when I would be one of the few people in an otherwise busy grocery store or shopping mall. When I am going on hour 11 of a more than 12-hour shift, I long to be at home, showered, and eating dinner at a normal hour.
    July 25, 2013
    In The News

    How to Enter the Oncology Nursing Field as a New Grad: Part II

    A nurse residency or new graduate RN program is a fantastic way to ease the transition from school to your first RN job in a hospital setting. Each is designed to support and encourage new graduates to more quickly develop acute care competencies.
    June 05, 2013
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