ONS Member Featured in NCI Supportive and Palliative Care Research Video
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) released a short video (https://prevention.cancer.gov/major-programs/supportive-and-palliative-care) featuring ONS member Ann O’Mara, PhD, RN, MPH, program director in the NCI’s Division of Cancer Prevention. She speaks directly about research projects focusing on supportive and palliative care for patients with cancer. O’Mara specifically highlights a recent study determining the impact of acupuncture on pain for patients with cancer.
The research programs include the following areas of focus:
- Symptom management: prevention and treatment of acute or chronic symptoms and morbidities related to cancer, its treatment, and caregiving
- Quality of life: studying the effects on quality of life from cancer, its treatment, and caregiving
- End of life: highlighting end-of-life psychosocial issues, caregiving, and treatment strategies
Patients with cancer face numerous symptoms and side effects related to their disease. Physical, emotional, and psychosocial issues—along with many other debilitating effects—are just a few of the areas that NCI’s programs address. It also provides resources for funding opportunities, supportive care trial results, patient resources for coping with cancer, and more.
Oncology nurse scientists (https://voice.ons.org/topic/oncology-nurse-researcher)’ work is vital to developing new knowledge and interventions to address issues in cancer care. As trailblazers for patient-centered research—including symptoms management, quality of life, and end-of-life issues—nurse scientists are crucial to NCI’s palliative and supportive care research initiatives.