ONS wrapped up the first four months of 2019 as a financially strong organization, according to the finance reports the ONS Board of Directors received during its June 13–15 meeting. The Society’s investments are up almost 9%. It also saw an increase in ONS Congress revenue from 2018 to 2019 and will not raise Congress registration fees for 2020. A solid financial outlook allows ONS to continue to serve its members by representing and growing the profession.
ONP Competencies
Earlier in 2019, a team of ONS members and a representative from the Advanced Practitioner Society for Hematology and Oncology (APSHO) evaluated the Oncology Nurse Practitioner (ONP) Competencies. After conducting a literature review, establishing a framework from Oncology Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice, and drafting the revised competencies, they invited public comments from ONS and APSHO members and finalized the revisions based on the feedback. The ONS Board adopted the revisions as presented, and the competencies will be published in fall 2019.
Research Priorities
The Board adopted the 2019–2022 ONS Research Priorities, which fall into three overarching areas: symptom science, health disparities, and palliative and psychosocial care. Within those, crosscutting themes provide context: survivorship care, aging, and healthcare delivery implications. Innovative advanced research methods were suggested for future research training programs and grant applications. The research priorities will also be published in fall 2019.
Healthcare Staffing
Some of the most common questions ONS receives from members relate to workplace staffing. Most inquire about infusion centers or ambulatory clinics, but some ask about inpatient units, radiation oncology centers, and nurse navigator services. The Board requested development of a position statement on staffing and had other suggestions for the staffing project team.
For the full details from the June 2019 Board meeting, ONS members can view the minutes at ons.org/board-minutes.