During National Family Caregivers Month this November, Oncology Data Advisor is spotlighting not only the caregivers of patients with cancer, but also the oncology nurses who partner with them to help navigate the cancer care journey. In this interview, Maria Badillo, Research Nurse Manager at MD Anderson Cancer Center and OncData Editorial Board member, shares how she helps support and provide education for her patients' caregivers, as well as resources she recommends for guiding them through the experience. 

At the 2023 Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Bridge Conference, Dr. Lauren Ghazal, Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Rochester Medical School and Oncology Data Advisor Editorial Board member, gave the keynote presentation entitled "Finding Your Why." Afterwards, she sat down to share further insights into the presentation, advice for nurses who are reflecting upon their "why" at different stages of their career, and how asking this question will not only help nurses to build fulfilling careers but to also strengthen nursing sustainability on a larger scale.
 

At the 2023 Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Bridge Conference, Dr. Lauren Ghazal, Assistant Professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Rochester Medical School and Oncology Data Advisor Editorial Board member, gave the keynote presentation entitled "Finding Your Why." Afterwards, she sat down to share further insights into the presentation, advice for nurses who are reflecting upon their "why" at different stages of their career, and how asking this question will not only help nurses to build fulfilling careers but to also strengthen nursing sustainability on a larger scale.

 

This year's Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Congress featured numerous thought-provoking and motivating presentations from experts in the field of oncology nursing. Maria Badillo, Research Nurse Manager at MD Anderson Cancer Center and Editorial Board Member of Oncology Data Advisor^®, stopped by in between presentations to share the most inspiring topics that she enjoyed hearing and is looking forward to sharing with her team.  

Therapy animals can deliver profound psychological, physiological, emotional, and social benefits for patients with cancer. At the recent 48th Annual Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Congress, Colleen Stoner, Manager of Volunteer Leaders at Pet Partners, and Diane Haley, LCSW, Director of Patient Experience at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, gave a presentation titled UnLEASHing the Power of Pet Therapy: How to Integrate Pet Therapy Into Your Cancer Center. Afterwards, they sat down with Oncology Data Advisor to elaborate on the powerful impacts that therapy animals can have on the experiences of patients with cancer.  

In this interview from the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) 2023 Congress, Oncology Data Advisor speaks with Lauren Ghazal, PhD, FNP-BC, a Family Nurse Practitioner and Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Michigan. Dr. Ghazal was honored at ONS Congress as a recipient of the 2023 Mara Mogensen Flaherty Memorial Lectureship Award to discuss "Current Challenges: Nursing Sustainability" along with fellow recipients Suzanne Carroll, RN, MS, AOCN®; Amy E. Rettig, DNP, MALM, MSN, BSN, RN ACNS-BC, PMHNP-BC; and 2000 Mara Mogensen Flaherty Memorial Lectureship Award recipient Debi Boyle, MSN, RN, AOCNS®,FAAN, serving as moderator. In this interview, Dr. Ghazal highlights her inspiring work and research investigating nursing sustainability and cancer survivorship for adolescents and young adults, and shares how to encourage more individuals to pursue a fulfilling career in nursing and research.  

Recently, the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC) unveiled its new logo, which embraces the diversity and the passion behind oncology nursing. In this interview, Tony Ellis, MSEd, CAE, ICE-CCP, the Executive Director of ONCC, shares the features of their recently rebranded website and the benefits of obtaining ONCC certification, as well as steps and tips for nurses who are interested in becoming certified.  

In this interview from the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) 2023 Congress, Oncology Data Advisor speaks with Lauren Ghazal, PhD, FNP-BC, a Family Nurse Practitioner and Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Michigan. Dr. Ghazal was honored at ONS Congress as a recipient of the 2023 Mara Mogensen Flaherty Memorial Lectureship Award to discuss "Current Challenges: Nursing Sustainability" along with fellow recipients Suzanne Carroll, RN, MS, AOCN®; Amy E. Rettig, DNP, MALM, MSN, BSN, RN ACNS-BC, PMHNP-BC; and 2000 Mara Mogensen Flaherty Memorial Lectureship Award recipient Debi Boyle, MSN, RN, AOCNS®,FAAN, serving as moderator. In this interview, Dr. Ghazal highlights her inspiring work and research investigating nursing sustainability and cancer survivorship for adolescents and young adults, and shares how to encourage more individuals to pursue a fulfilling career in nursing and research.  

With the advent of targeted therapies in lung cancer, patients are experiencing improved outcomes through personalized medicine. However, education regarding potential toxicity is crucial. In this interview, Blanca Ledezma, MSN, NP, shares the importance of setting up expectations for the side effects of targeted therapies for lung cancer and emphasizing communication with the health care team throughout the course of treatment.  

In this interview with Oncology Data Advisor, Blanca Ledezma, MSN, NP, elucidates the current landscape of therapeutically actionable biomarkers in lung cancer and the promising future of precision medicine in this field. In addition, she explains the clinical applications for lung cancer biomarkers in nursing practice, including unique toxicity management and patient education for novel therapies.  

At the recent Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Congress in Anaheim, California, Dr. Maritza Alencar of the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center gave a presentation about the role of an effective onboarding program for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs). In this interview, Dr. Alencar provides additional insights into this importance of this training in order to minimize burnout and shares resources to aid in the development of a well-structured onboarding program.

In honor of Oncology Nursing Month in May, Oncology Data Advisor is celebrating the stories of these essential members of the cancer care team. For this interview, editorial board member Maria Badillo, MSN, RN, OCN^®, CCRP, speaks with Sherry Adkins, MSN, ANP-C, Advanced Practice Provider Supervisor at MD Anderson Cancer Center, about her groundbreaking research in the development of chimeric antigen (CAR) T-cell therapies and the critical role that oncology nurses play in caring for patients receiving this novel therapeutic strategy.