Skip to main content
Search
News, Views, and Advocacy From the Oncology Nursing Society
ONS Voice Home
  • News & Views
  • Advocacy
  • Stories
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • RSS
  • News & Views
    • Latest Articles
    • Clinical Practice
    • ONS News
    • ONS Leadership
    Trending Topics
    • Research
    • Treatments
    • Safety
    • COVID-19
    • Drug Reference Sheet
    • Special Populations
    View All Topics
    Advocacy
    • Latest Articles
    • Updates
    • Get Involved
    Stories View All
    View All
    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
    previous slide
    next slide
    Search
  • News & Views
  • Advocacy
  • Stories
  • Topic

    Quality Outcomes

    Make Subcutaneous Administration More Comfortable for Your Patients
    Clinical practice

    Make Subcutaneous Administration More Comfortable for Your Patients

    Much of oncology nursing education focuses on IV administration of systemic therapies because for years, that was the only route. Until 2004, only two cancer therapies were approved for subcutaneous (SC) administration, and just nine others were added through 2012. However, as more familiar IV therapies get SC counterparts, including the more recent approvals of four high-volume monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), infusion nurses are using them more regularly in practice.

    January 04, 2022
    CMS Launches Strategy to Drive Health System Transformation
    Health Policy

    CMS Launches Strategy to Drive Health System Transformation

    Under a newly refreshed strategy, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) Innovation Center is expanding models in the healthcare industry that reduce program costs and improving quality and outcomes for Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries, the agency announced in an October 2021 white paper.

    December 13, 2021
    ONS Congress

    Research Shows That Better Cancer Care Requires Listening—to Both Patients and Clinicians

    Oncology nursing research has a powerful impact on quality care and positive patient outcomes, but the science must be grounded in clinical context because researchers’ ultimate goal is to disseminate their findings to clinicians to facilitate practice change, ONS’s 2021 Distinguished Researcher Christopher Friese, PhD, RN, AOCN®, FAAN, of the University of Michigan and Rogel Cancer Center, said during his session for the 46th Annual ONS Congress™ on April 22, 2021.

    April 22, 2021
    Even Short Treatment Delays Affect Cancer Outcomes
    Research

    Even Short Treatment Delays Affect Cancer Outcomes

    Delaying initiation of cancer treatment by just four weeks is associated with increased mortality rates for patients with seven types of cancers, regardless of treatment type, researchers reported in BMJ.

    February 03, 2021
    Genomics Provides Insight on Exceptionally Responding Patients
    Genetics & genomics

    Genomics Provides Insight on Exceptionally Responding Patients

    Patients with cancer who experience unexpected and long-lasting treatment outcomes are considered exceptional responders, but researchers and clinicians had no insight as to why the patients did so well with treatment. Results of a new study now show that genomic characterizations of cancer can uncover genetic alterations that may contribute to the phenomenon, researchers reported in Cancer Cell.

    January 13, 2021
    ONS Bridge

    Nurses Are Leading Change and Advancing Health With Lean Methodology

    Strong leadership is critical in redesigning health care—and nurse leaders in particular need to take responsibility for identifying problems and areas of waste, devising and implementing a plan for improvement, tracking this improvement over time, and making necessary adjustments to realize established goals.

    September 08, 2020
    ONS Congress

    Interprofessional Collaboration Is Essential for Optimal Chemoradiation Outcomes

    Navigating patients through radiation treatments can be challenging when they are undergoing concurrent therapy. Coordination of multiple providers across different specialties, side effect management, and scheduling can be overwhelming. During a session at the ONS 44th Annual Congress in Anaheim, CA, Dorothy Abshire, BSN, BA, RN, OCN®, of Baylor Scott and White McClinton Cancer Center, Waco, TX, explained how oncology nurses can help patients navigate complicated treatment regimens that involve both chemotherapy and radiation therapies.

    April 13, 2019
    Quality Outcomes

    Nurses Present Research on Improving Symptom-Related Patient Outcomes

    Fast, safe, and effective care is a goal in all oncology treatment settings. During a session on Friday, April 12, 2019, at the ONS 44th Annual Congress in Anaheim, CA, Lisa Pittman, RN, MSN, MHA, NEA-BC, OCN®, of Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Zion, IL, Kerry Fuller, RN, BSN, OCN®, of Greenville Health System Cancer Institute in South Carolina, Cameron Carr, ADN, RN, of Duke Raleigh Hospital in North Carolina, and Lisa Ciafre, RN, MSN, of Allegheny Health Network Cancer Institute in Pittsburgh, PA, shared their work on preventing infections, improving recovery after surgery, and reducing response times to hypersensitivity reactions.

    April 12, 2019
    Experience the Power of Patient-Centered Research Through PCORI
    Health Policy

    Experience the Power of Patient-Centered Research Through PCORI

    How often have you gone to the mailbox, pulled out your latest issue of the Oncology Nursing Forum or Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, and excitedly read about some innovative study with game-changing outcomes that’ll revolutionize the delivery of health care—only to find that it never moves off the pages of the journal? What does it take to move research from the proverbial bench to the community? That was the focus of the Fourth Annual Meeting of the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), “From Evidence to Impact: Putting What Works into Action,” held from October 31–November 2, 2018, in Washington DC. 

    February 07, 2019
    Fitness Trackers Provide Helpful Postsurgical Data on Patients With Cancer
    Research

    Fitness Trackers Provide Helpful Postsurgical Data on Patients With Cancer

    With the ubiquity of smartphones and, more recently, smart watches and fitness trackers, the potential to use these devices to monitor and assist patients with cancer has never been greater. Being able to monitor and respond to patient data through fitness trackers could help healthcare professionals provide swift, accurate interventions in the future. Our proof-of-concept study, “Wireless Monitoring Program of Patient-Centered Outcomes and Recovery Before and After Major Abdominal Cancer Surgery,” explored the feasibility and acceptability of using technology, including fitness monitors, to efficiently monitor patient-generated health data by answering the following questions: 

    December 17, 2018
    Oncology Nurses’ Role in Recognizing and Addressing Oncologic Emergencies
    Oncologic emergencies

    Oncology Nurses’ Role in Recognizing and Addressing Oncologic Emergencies

    Most emergencies can manifest in the blink of an eye. Whether it’s a medical emergency, a car accident, an act of nature, or something else, emergencies are sudden crises that require swift, immediate action. For many patients with cancer, among the most distressing challenges along the treatment journey is the possibility of experiencing an oncologic emergency.

    October 02, 2018
    ONS Congress

    Electronic Health Records Provide a Link Between Patient Data and Care Outcomes

    Electronic health records (EHRs) can offer so much more than a way to keep all processes and procedures linked to a patient. Christina Boord, BSN, RN, OCN®, and Cori Kopecky, MSN, RN, OCN®, discussed electronic health records, patient data, and outcomes during a session at the 43rd Annual Congress in Washington, DC.

    July 13, 2018
    ONS Congress

    Nurses Are Using Quality Care to Improve Patient Outcomes

    Staying updated on advancements in cancer care increases the chances of improved outcomes for patients. Cara Henderson, RN, BSN, CMSRN, patient service manager of surgical oncology at Smilow Cancer Hospital in New Haven, CT; Elizabeth Rodriguez, DNP, RN, OCN®, nurse leader of outpatient services at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, NY, Amanda Choflet, DNP, RN, OCN®, director of nursing in radiation oncology at Johns Hopkins Health System in Baltimore, MD, and Megan Howe, MSN, RN, OCN®, nurse manager of Norris Cotton Cancer Center at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH, discussed the factors that relate to improving outcomes, the multidisciplinary approaches to the process change strategy, and the results and future direction of chosen pathways during a session at the 43rd Annual Congress in Washington, DC.

    July 11, 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
    CMS Releases Report on Oncology Care Model
    Quality Outcomes

    CMS Releases Report on Oncology Care Model

    The cost of cancer care and the quality of patient services has always been a top priority in health care. However, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center has been working to strengthen both elements of care. CMS, through its Oncology Care Model (OCM) division, works with cancer care providers to develop payment strategies and performance categories in treatment plans for patients with cancer.

    April 01, 2018
    Strengthen a Commitment to Practice Change Through EBP Immersions
    Nursing evidence-based practice

    Strengthen a Commitment to Practice Change Through EBP Immersions

    That “science, informatics, incentives, and culture are aligned for continuous improvement and innovation” in care delivery through evidence-based practice (EBP) that uses research outcomes, clinical expert perspectives, and patient and family engagement, the National Academy of Medicine Roundtable on Value and Science-Driven Health Care project charter visualizes. By 2020, the goal is to ensure that 90% of clinical decisions are individualized yet supported by the most current, relevant, and best-available evidence and effective tools are in place to measure outcomes. 

    December 26, 2017
    American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting

    Physical Activity Level Before and After Cancer Diagnosis Impacts Survival for Lymphoma

    Researchers assessed the impact of physical activity levels before and after cancer diagnosis on overall survival (OS) and lymphoma-specific survival (LSS) outcomes in patients with lymphoma. They found that higher levels of physical activity during adult life and within three years of diagnosis improve survival. Priyanka Pophali, MD, at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, discussed the findings at the ASH Annual Meeting.

    December 11, 2017
    Using Alternative Medicine Instead of Conventional Cancer Treatments Increases Risk of Death
    Research

    Using Alternative Medicine Instead of Conventional Cancer Treatments Increases Risk of Death

    A large study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that patients with nonmetastatic breast, lung, or colorectal cancer who chose to use only alternative medicine had substantially worse survival than patients who received conventional cancer treatment.

    November 29, 2017
    Oncology Nurses Need to Screen for Financial Toxicity
    Nursing education

    Why Do Oncology Nurses Need to Screen for Financial Toxicity?

    It’s beneficial to think about financial toxicity in terms of issues adhering to treatment. Mounting evidence suggests that patients with financial toxicity aren’t adhering to their cancer care. It’s becoming a common side effect of cancer treatment, and patients might be less likely to take treatments their medical team prescribes because of it, leading to substandard care.

    November 01, 2017
    Financial Toxicity and Its Burden on Cancer Care
    Patient financial advocacy

    Financial Toxicity and Its Burden on Cancer Care

    The cost of health care in the United States has been the source of debate for years. Questions range from the extent of Medicare and a Medicaid coverage, how—or if—the government should regulate drug prices, who deserves coverage, and how Institutions collect payments from insurance companies. But often, one important aspect is missing from the numerous conversations on health care, treatments, and financial reimbursements: the patients.

    November 01, 2017
    Survivorship Care Planning
    Survivorship care plans

    How One Institution Implemented Survivorship Care Plans in the Age of the Electronic Medical Record

    More than a decade ago, the National Academy of Medicine first proposed that “all patients should be given a comprehensive summary and a clear explanation of the details of their cancer therapy as well as recommendations for necessary follow-up.” This seemingly simple task has proved difficult to deliver in many cancer care settings.

    October 05, 2017
    Ambulatory Staffing
    Nurse staffing

    What Is ONS’s Perspective on the Ambulatory Staffing Dilemma?

    Appropriate nurse staffing is only one of the critical factors that contribute to optimal patient outcomes and is as important as the systems, technology, and quality standards in any care setting. The relationship between poor staffing, daily variation in quality, and increased workload to increased care errors, missed care, and patient and nurse dissatisfaction is well described.

    August 23, 2017
    Ethan Basch
    Patient reported outcomes (PROs)

    What Does the Evidence Show About Patient-Reported Outcomes, Quality of Life, and Survival?

    Patients know their own experiences best. Evidence has shown that providers are unaware of about half of patients’ symptoms during cancer care. When patients directly report their symptoms using online questionnaires, it can help close this gap in communication. Bringing the patient voice into practice using patient-reported outcomes (PROs) can not only make us aware of their symptoms—enabling earlier interventions—but can also make care delivery more patient-centered.

    August 01, 2017
    improving oncology care through patient reported outcomes
    Patient reported outcomes (PROs)

    Improving Cancer Care Through Patient-Reported Outcomes

    Technology can—at times—seem miraculous, especially as it evolves in healthcare settings. Simple technologic tools have been able to lower costs, increase efficiency, minimize delays in treatment times, and even provide new, lifesaving procedures for cancer treatment.

    August 01, 2017
    ONS Congress

    Personalize Quality-of-Life Measures to Improve Patient Experiences

    Quality of life (QOL) is a complicated construct and has been defined many ways. Barbara Anne Biedrzycki, PhD, CRNP, AOCNP®, of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, presented the following view: “Quality of life is achieved when our hopes are matched and fulfilled by our experiences.” She encouraged participants to have a holistic perspective of QOL but to keep in mind that QOL is very individualized—its definition and meaning are different to each individual, and each person finds some factors to be more important than others.

    July 03, 2017
    Oncology Nurse Advisor Navigation Summit

    Leadership Strategies for Nursing Excellence

    The triple aim of healthcare is patient satisfaction, quality outcomes, and decreased costs. Navigation is the key to effective care delivery, said Regina Cunningham, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, chief executive officer of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, during the Endnote Session at the Oncology Nurse Advisor Navigation Summit.

    June 17, 2017
    Oncology Nurse Advisor Navigation Summit

    Use Outcomes and Metrics to Improve Navigation Strategies

    ONS member Judy B. Koutlas RN, MS, OCN®, manager of oncology navigation at Vidant Medical Center in Greenville, NC, discussed best practices and metrics related to navigation programs to improve nursing performance and patient quality of care during a session at the Oncology Nurse Advisor Navigation Summit.

    June 15, 2017
    Heather Mackey
    Standards

    What Is ONS’s Process for Creating Oncology Nursing Competencies?

    The ONS Oncology Nurse Generalist competencies define the fundamental knowledge, skills, and abilities that nurses new to oncology practice should develop or acquire within the first one to two years of oncology practice. The target audience includes both beginning nurses new to practice as well as seasoned nurses who enter the oncology specialty after working in another area.

    April 04, 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
    How the Oncology Care Model Is Redefining Quality Care
    Quality of care

    How the Oncology Care Model Is Redefining Quality Care

    Oncology institutions across the United States are implementing big change in the way nurses and physicians deliver care to patients with cancer. By highlighting quality care and smart spending, facilities are reimagining the way cancer is treated in America. New procedures, research, and technology have redefined the way cancer is treated, so a new system for delivery and reimbursement is vital to ensure that quality care can be delivered at a reasonable cost.

    March 01, 2017
    Ron Kline, MD, FAAP
    Quality of care

    How Are We Creating a New Payment Model for Oncology Care?

    Oncology care is a complex, expensive, and often-fragmented area of medicine. To understand the potential need for a new payment model in oncology care, a thorough evaluation of all the data was important. By reviewing the oncology literature associated with costs and quality, we discovered that there were wide variations in the costs associated with the treatment of advanced cancers, but little variation in the outcomes of patients. We also identified gaps in patient care that we thought could be improved.

    February 28, 2017
    alt text
    Advanced Practice Nursing (APRN)

    Test Story

    This is the teaser.

    January 05, 2017

    How to Incorporate Exercise Into Patient Care

    Since the first article on exercise for patients with cancer appeared in the literature in 1986, numerous studies have confirmed its benefits on disease- and treatment-related fatigue, anxiety and depression, sleep quality, lymphedema, bone and muscle strength, and risk of recurrence.
    December 13, 2016
    End of life (EOL)

    Ethical Dilemmas at the End of Life

    Oncology nurses are often called on to act as mediators through difficult moments, advocating for their patients while connecting caregivers with the resources that will help them during a challenging time.
    September 06, 2016
    Comorbidities

    Aerobic and Resistance Exercise May Reduce Comorbidities in Cancer Survivors

    Although patients are living longer into survivorship, their comorbid burden is increasing. Studies have shown that survivors have increased rates of chronic disease, like type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease; and obesity compared to adults without cancer.
    August 09, 2016
    Lung Cancer

    Quality Measures May Lengthen Survival in NSCLC

    Researchers have found that four quality measures (neoadjuvant multiagent chemotherapy, lobectomy or greater resection, sampling of at least 10 lymph nodes, and R0 resection) are associated with longer survival in patients with stage IIIA non-small cell lung cancer.
    July 05, 2016
    Oncology health literacy

    The Impact of Health Literacy on Safety and Quality

    A person with adequate health literacy has the ability to access, understand, and act on health-related information. Safety and quality can suffer when a person is limited in any one of these components.
    May 04, 2016
    Prehabilitation

    Why Is Baseline Testing Important in Prehabilitation?

    Prehabilitation should be driven by outcomes that start with baseline assessments that are repeated in an effort to determine how well the interventions worked.
    May 03, 2016
    Interdisciplinary teams

    The Power of Prehabilitation

    Prehabilitation is a process along the cancer care continuum that occurs after diagnosis but before treatment begins. In a sense, it’s preparing patients for their battle ahead by introducing psychological and physical interventions “that establish a baseline functional level, identify impairments, and provide targeted interventions that improve a patient’s health to reduce the incidence and the severity of current and future impairments," according to Silver and Baima.
    May 03, 2016
    Oncology nurse and cancer patient consultation
    Cancer research

    How Academic Research Guides Community Cancer Center Practice

    Although the approach may be different, academic institutions and community-based centers have the same goal: improving the lives of people with cancer. So what happens when academia meets community in a joint effort to promote this important purpose? ONS member and researcher Frances Lee-Lin, PhD, RN, OCN®, CNS, has first-hand experience.
    April 05, 2016
    End of life (EOL)

    Death With Dignity Provides Options for Patients at the End of Life

    As advances in medicine and technology allow more people to live longer, fuller lives, our already-burdened healthcare system is experiencing unique problems. An aging body is often accompanied by complex, debilitating illnesses. The incapacitating nature of advanced disease coupled with the fears of pain, suffering, and loss of autonomy at the end of life, bring forth the question of quality versus quantity of life. Ubiquitous opinions surrounding ethical and moral decisions make right-to-die issues a controversial but increasingly significant topic.
    February 09, 2016
    Patient Education

    It’s Nurses’ Job to Help Patients and Families Make Informed Decisions

    Shared decision making is an idea that has been around for a while in cancer care, but what does it really mean, and, more specifically, what is the nurse’s role in shared decision making? Are only specific nurses involved, like clinical trial nurses, nurse navigators, or advanced practice nurses? Or, is it a role for all oncology nurses?
    February 02, 2016
    Oncology patient hires private advocate
    Patient advocacy

    What Nurses Need to Know About Private Patient Advocates

    Navigating the healthcare system as a patient with cancer, with multiple treatment options, frequent appointments, diagnostic tests, new medications, and insurance complications, is confusing and can become overwhelming. Advocacy is one crucial role a nurse fulfills, providing education and support to assist patients with making decisions and managing their condition.
    February 02, 2016
    Oncology nurse practices shared decision making
    Lung Cancer

    What Is the Shared Decision-Making Process for Lung Cancer Screening?

    Coverage by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has recently made computed tomography (CT) lung screening access possible for many at high risk for lung cancer. Part of the National Coverage Determination requires that patients engage in a shared decision making (SDM) session with their healthcare providers before entering a CT screening program.
    February 02, 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
    An oncology nurse promotes oral adherence
    Oral adherence

    Oncology Nurses Can Use Evidence to Promote Oral Adherence

    Administration of chemotherapy drugs has shifted dramatically in the past 15 years from parenteral to oral administration. This change requires patients to self-manage their chemotherapy. Patients need to understand important medication administration tasks: right dose, right time, right route, and right drug.
    January 05, 2016
    Oncology nurses help patients adhere to oral chemotherapy
    Oral adherence

    How Can Nurses Help Patients Adhere to Their Oral Chemotherapy?

    Oral chemotherapy, like IV chemotherapy, effectively helps patients fight cancer and may have similar side effects to its IV counterparts. Self-administration of oral chemotherapy may be convenient, but it is still chemotherapy and requires extra caution.
    January 05, 2016
    Improving ahderence to oral treatment plans
    Oral adherence

    Adherence to Oral Agents for Cancer

    Adherence to oral agents for cancer (OACs) is an important issue in the oncology setting. Unlike IV agents, which are typically administered in a controlled environment by oncology nurses, OACs are self-administered at home with little professional oversight. The potential for medication error or nonadherence cannot be underestimated, but oncology nurses are in a key position to spearhead initiatives aimed at improving patient education and adherence for OACs.
    January 05, 2016
    Chemotherapy

    10 Things Every Patient With Cancer Should Know About Chemotherapy

    January 05, 2015
    Oncology nurse screening of patient symptoms
    Oncology nurse-patient relationship

    Screening for Symptoms

    Oncology nurses develop close relationships with their patients partly because they spend so much time with them and partly because they care for them when they are vulnerable.
    June 02, 2014
    • Current page 1
    • Page 2
    • Next page
    • Last page Last »
    Trending Topics
    • Research
    • Treatments
    • Safety
    • COVID-19
    • Drug Reference Sheet
    • Special Populations
    • Clinical practice
    • U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
    • Health Policy
    • Immunotherapy
    View All Topics
     
    Home
    News, Views, and Advocacy From the Oncology Nursing Society
  • Legal Notices
  • Contact Us
  • Conferences
  • Advertising
  • Newsroom
  • Sitemap
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • RSS
  • ONS
  • Oncology Nursing Foundation
  • ONCC
  • © Copyright 2023 Oncology Nursing Society
     
    Back to Top ▲