The Future Is Full of Opportunities for Advancing Oncology Nursing and Cancer Care

April 10, 2018 by Susan M. Schneider PhD, RN, AOCN®, FAAN

As I reflect on my time as ONS president, I realize that I am concluding my term as I began: grateful for the oncology nurses who have inspired and supported me. We are all guided by the common goal to provide the best possible care to individuals with cancer.

The past two years have affirmed the beliefs that I had at the beginning of my term and throughout my oncology nursing career.

The best things are accomplished with teamwork: I want to thank the amazing individuals who have served on the ONS Board with me for the past three years. These innovative leaders took risks and thought strategically. They improved our governance processes, including how we select officers, develop leaders, and evaluate our board and our chief executive officer. Thank you, Anne, Barb, Chip, Colleen, Diane, Eva, Jeanie, Joni, Julie, Kay, Laura, Maggie, Margaret, and Marlon!

Knowledge is power: Or as my platform highlighted, “Specialized Knowledge: Quality Care.” As your professional home, ONS provides remarkable resources to help you learn and grow professionally. Over the past few years, Congress has grown in attendance and in opportunities to learn. Sessions keep nurses up to date regarding clinical advancements and role development. Our journals remain an excellent source of knowledge. ONS Voice makes news and practice tips easily accessible in print and online. Online CE courses are available for clinical topics, leadership, advocacy, and safety. The resources are there for you, however you choose to learn.

Connecting with others is key: Supporting role development, ONS held think tanks for nurse navigators, nurse researchers, and advanced practice nurses. Regional meetings allowed chapter leaders to share ideas and connect with ONS Board members. We launched the online communities, which provide members with a forum to exchange ideas for best practices.

Speak up: Advocate for what is important to you. Advocacy is one of ONS’s core values, and in that vein, ONS held two successful and inspiring Capitol Hill Days where members met with legislators to advocate for quality cancer care and for their profession. ONS members were involved in the National Cancer Moonshot Initiative, stressing the importance of prevention, early detection, and symptom management. We shared our belief that cancer care should be accessible and affordable and met with then-Vice President Joe Biden.

So much has happened in the past few years. I want to thank ONS members and the dedicated ONS staff for making our organization a true professional home. The future is full of opportunities. I am certain that we will continue to work together to meet our mission of advancing oncology nursing excellence and quality cancer care.

Topics: