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.

ONS reaps value and benefits from its many collaborations and teamwork—whether between members and staff the Society’s own partnerships with and memberships in other organizations. You may see the outcomes that ONS achieves from those organizational relationships, but you may not yet realize the direct benefit they have for you as well.

During a crisp fall week on September 22–24, 2021, the ONS Board of Directors met in person for the first time since 2019. Dynamics are different when everyone is in the same room, and the Board embraced the energy it infused into its work. Here are some of the important topics they discussed, and ONS members can read the complete minutes from the three-day meeting at ons.org/board-minutes.

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.

From Florence Nightingale to Clara Barton, Mary Eliza Mahoney, Dorthea Dix, and even Mary Todd Lincoln, women throughout history have served as trailblazers who shaped the nursing profession we know today.  

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.

Cancer care is evolving rapidly, and ONS is committed to providing oncology nurses with tools to stay abreast of innovative treatments and technologies used to care for people with cancer. The ONS Board of Directors has both strategic and stewardship responsibilities for the fiscal health of the organization that will help us to meet those goals. 

Discussion of ONS’s financial health was a key item on the agenda for the July 2018 Board of Directors meeting. As one of the quarterly face-to-face meetings the Board holds in conjunction with ONS Leadership Weekend, the meeting also provided the opportunity for in-depth discussion around several additional topics.

To meet the ONS mission as well as 501(c)(6) organization requirements, ONS’s key categories of revenue and expenses continue to focus on providing member and educational services, such as website resources, online and journal-related continuing nursing education, and publications that support oncology nurses and quality patient care.

American author Kurt Vonnegut once wrote, “Laughter and tears are both responses to frustration and exhaustion. . . . I myself prefer to laugh, since there is less cleaning up to do afterward.” Humor has the ability to sooth and heal, and humor often makes grim situations feel brighter and less daunting. Moments affixed with tragedy, grief, loss, and terror can often soften in time, allowing for understanding, acceptance, and sometimes even laughter.

As much of the Northeast received a spring snowstorm, the ONS Board of Directors met face to face in Pittsburgh the second week of March. For this Texas girl, it was a beautiful sight to watch the falling snow as the Board discussed important organizational issues, and I couldn’t help but draw associations between our board governance work and the seasonal work of sowing into programs and reaping the reward of those programs to achieve our organizational vision.

At the end of July, Pittsburgh was full of energy and excitement as more than 400 oncology nurses attended Leadership Weekend. The experience is designed for ONS Chapter and Community leaders, as well as Board members of all three corporations and our Leadership Development Committee, to share ideas and learn leadership skills.

The ONS budgeting cycle is not unlike what occurs annually at each of our healthcare settings. ONS staff and senior leadership work to develop a budget each year, which is reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors. The budget is monitored throughout the year, year-end results are presented to the Board, and an annual report is provided to the membership during the business meeting held at ONS Congress. The Board also works with staff and senior leadership to tie the budget to our mission and vision, while reviewing our membership feedback on what they feel is valuable, or could benefit their membership experience.