For more than 35 years, the Oncology Nursing Foundation has been devoted to supporting cancer nursing excellence. To steward those efforts in the years to come, the Foundation welcomes Anizia Karmazyn as its new executive director. Karmazyn will work with Foundation Board of Trustees, Linda Worrall, RN, MSN, the Foundation’s director of grants and program, and other Foundation staff to Increase support for oncology nursing education, research, and leadership development.

E-cigarettes, initially introduced as a potential step-down smoking cessation strategy, have become a pervasive part of American culture—especially among users younger than 18 years of age. The rise in vaping rates has become so alarming that the U.S. surgeon general issued a statement declaring youth e-cigarette use a national epidemic. In light of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports of increasing vaping-related lung disease and death, ONS released its revised position statement, “Potential Adverse Health Consequences From Use of E-Cigarettes and Vaping,” to highlight the negative effects of vaping, emphasize the lack of regulatory oversight, and better inform oncology nursing practice for patients and their families.

The Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) and Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) have partnered to develop a joint position statement in advance of an upcoming compliance deadline for U.S. Pharmacopeia Chapter 800 (USP <800>).

The Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) periodical publications have been recognized for their commitment to excellence, with recent honors bestowed from Association Media and Publishing, Communication Concepts, and the American Society of Healthcare Publication Editors.

On September 22–24, 2019, Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) will hold its Fourth Annual Capitol Hill Days in Washington, DC. The three-day education and advocacy event will prepare more than 100 oncology nurses to work with elected officials on health policy issues important to their patients and profession. Capitol Hill Days encourages nurses to be advocates and leaders in their communities and in their practice by helping ONS make a real difference in the national healthcare conversation.

As part of its ongoing work to promote excellence in oncology nursing and quality cancer care, the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) launched the ONS Center for Innovation to guide the development of new resources, projects, programs, and applications for ONS’s existing products as well as the creation of new, innovative ones that meet the needs of oncology nurses—both now and in the future. 

The Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC)—an independent affiliate of the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS)—has been providing oncology nurses with certification to demonstrate their expertise and excellence in oncology nursing care for more than 30 years. On April 8, 2019, ONCC will welcome Tony Ellis, CAE, as its new executive director. Following the retirement of long-time director Cynthia Miller Murphy, MSN, RN, CAE, FAAN, Ellis will be only the second person in ONCC history to serve executive director.

Annually, the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) brings together more than 3,700 oncology nurses from across the country and around the globe to celebrate and advance the oncology nursing profession. The 44th Annual ONS Congress in Anaheim, CA, from April 11–15, 2019, showcases educational sessions, networking opportunities, and groundbreaking nursing research.

To further support patient-centered care and the value-based care proposition enacted through the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, ONS announces the availability of three innovative, high priority, outcome-based electronic clinical quality measures.

As the field of oncology continues to evolve, so too do the needs of oncology nurses throughout the country. To provide a deeper, cleaner, and more efficient user experience for its members, the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) has launched its newly redesigned website at ONS.org. The new ONS.org experience easily connects oncology nurses with key practice resources, the latest-breaking literature, cutting-edge courses, and innovative ways to improve the quality of cancer care for patients around the world.

Support for oncology nursing is critical to the advancement of the profession and the future of care for patients with cancer. The Oncology Nursing Foundation—formerly known as the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Foundation—is a nonprofit, tax-exempt, charitable organization dedicated solely to supporting oncology nurses both nationally and internationally. Today, the Foundation announced its name change to wholly encapsulate the organization’s longstanding focus and goals. Through continuing education scholarships, research grants, and career development funding, the Oncology Nursing Foundation supports oncology nurses in their pursuits to provide safer and more effective cancer care for their patients. 

For exceptional accomplishments in nursing and health care through the course of her oncology career, ONS member Ruth McCorkle, PhD, RN, FAPOS, FAAN, has been named an American Academy of Nursing (AAN) Living Legend. The Living Legend designation is AAN’s highest honor and was awarded to seven nursing professionals for 2018. The Academy will honor its Living Legend designees at its annual policy conference in Washington, DC, on November 1, 2018.