Poor cognitive function can cause distress, impact quality of life, and contribute to treatment non-adherence, Catherine Bender, PhD, RN, FAAN, from the University of Pittsburgh, explained during the Distinguished Nurse Researcher session at the 42nd Annual Congress in Denver, CO. She is the 2017 recipient of the Distinguished Nurse Research Award, which recognizes the contributions of a member who has conducted or promoted research that has enhanced the science and practice of oncology nursing.

Advanced practice nurses (APNs) play a role in leadership, policy development, education, and management. As APNs move through their career from novice to expert, ONS can play a large role in professional development.

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) can lead to serious adverse events (AEs) for older adults that could result in hospitalizations. Older adults may be overwhelmed with the amount of information involved with diagnosis and treatment, may not believe their actions will have an impact on symptoms, and tend to adopt a “wait and see” approach to managing AEs. Educational initiatives that tailor symptom management to older adults are necessary to engage and prepare these patients to self-mange CINV at home.

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.

Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is a persistent, subjective sense of tiredness related to cancer and treatment that interferes with usual functioning. Other features of CRF include tiredness that is not relieved by rest or sleep, is often associated with physical and psychological symptoms, can be acute or chronic, and may not correspond to a patient’s level of exacerbation.

Medical marijuana laws still vary across the United States, and barriers persist for patients and providers, including fear of addiction and side effects as well as safety, financial, and legal concerns.

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) is a side effect reported by 40%–80% of patients receiving cancer treatment. However, CINV can be prevented in 70%–80% of those cases with appropriate antiemetic prophylaxis. Few studies have evaluated approaches to improve provider adherence to antiemetic guidelines, and those who do adhere often have limited demonstrated success.

Tara Tatum, MBA, RN, and Stella Dike, MSN, RN, OCN^®, both from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, presented the findings during a poster session at the ONS 42nd Annual Congress in Denver, CO. The poster was titled “Radiation Safety Education: An Innovative, Multidisciplinary Approach to Enhancing the Knowledge and Skills of Oncology Nurses in an Inpatient Radiation Setting.”

Using the human immune system to target cancer has made tremendous strides in recent years. Jaruska Naidoo, MBBCh, from the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Joanne Riemer, RN, BSN, from Johns Hopkins University, discussed the progress made in immunotherapy and how nurses play a role in clinical trials during a session at the 42nd Annual Congress in Denver, CO.

Ashley Bryant, PhD, RN, OCN^®, assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing, was the recipient of the 2017 Victoria Mock New Investigator Award and gave a lecture at the 42nd Annual Congress in Denver, CO, on her work on patient-reported symptoms and quality of life.