RNs encounter workplace violence and abuse at a far higher rate than in any other profession in the United States. Although the topic is uncomfortable, it’s a very real aspect of health care for many professionals. Most nurses have likely experienced an abusive, dangerous, or violent encounter in the healthcare setting at some point in their careers.  

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) announced $293 million in new funding through programs at the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and Nurse Corps for the healthcare community to expand the clinician workforce. Strengthening care and support can help address gaps in care and limit growing socioeconomic disparities.

On July 23, 2018, the U.S. House of Representatives passed by voice vote two ONS priority bills that would provide palliative care training, awareness, and research and funding to build the nursing workforce.

One of your patients is enrolled in a clinical trial and is scheduled to receive an investigational drug today. She reports a cracked tooth and asks if it’s okay to get dental work. What should you tell her? 

A. To Set up an appointment with her dentist between treatment cycles. 

B. To check with her research team before setting up a dental appointment. 

C. Not to have any dental work done since she’s on a clinical trial.  

D. Have her tooth fixed right away and let the research team know if you have any problems. 

Nurses can do it all. After all, the often-unsung heroes of health care use their unique skills to positively impact patients and their families in more ways than most people can ever imagine. Unfortunately, role confusion and a lack of awareness of a vital specialty have led to a dire need of nurses in clinical trials.

It’s the season for graduations. My husband and I recently celebrated our youngest daughter’s graduation from Saint Louis University School of Nursing—just as we did for our two older daughters. As I reflected on this time of celebration, I was reminded of when I was asked to write for Continuing the Legacy: More Voices of Oncology Nurses, an ONS book that shares the narrative history of oncology nursing through individual nurse stories. I wrote about a patient who taught me a lot during our time together. At the end of each story, the authors were asked to reflect on their contributions and their experiences. With all of the celebrations lately, I had to look back on what I wrote.

With improved early detection guidelines and techniques as well as advancing cancer treatments, cancer is now a chronic disease in an already aging population. In addition, the Affordable Care Act expanded healthcare coverage to millions of previously uninsured Americans, increasing the need for medical services. With these trends in health care, nurse practitioners (NPs) are needed at the forefront to positively impact and enhance oncology care.

Nursing isn’t always just about treating illness. At times, patients are unruly, combative, and even downright dangerous to staff. Nurses are the ones standing front and center when an upset patient erupts, and it happens more often than the uninitiated public may think. A recent article in the Washington Post, catalogs some of the harrowing violence nurses have seen in the line of duty, dubbing it one of the most dangerous professions in the United States. Patients aren’t always the sole source of danger either—as illustrated by the recent assault of a Utah nurse, Alex Wubbels, by a Salt Lake City police detective.

The job interview process boils down to 60 precious minutes. That’s right. You basically have 1 hour to convince your potential future employer that you can perform the required job duties and that you are the right person for the job. This article provides tips for ensuring you make the most of your time in the spotlight.

Appropriate nurse staffing is only one of the critical factors that contribute to optimal patient outcomes and is as important as the systems, technology, and quality standards in any care setting. The relationship between poor staffing, daily variation in quality, and increased workload to increased care errors, missed care, and patient and nurse dissatisfaction is well described.

One of the questions that the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC) commonly receives from nurses who’ve completed a continuing nursing education (CNE) program is, “How do these points count for ILNA and where can I put them on my learning plan?”

As a nurse recruiter with the Talent Acquisition Group at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, NY, Mari Moriarty, RN, MA, stresses that creating an effective resume is the gateway to getting the job you want. Your resume must communicate to recruiters and hiring managers that you are an intelligent and well-organized individual, and so your resume should be easy-to-read, organized, and error free.

The humming of the florescent lights in the quiet of the night shift on the bone marrow transplant unit at Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center in Denver, CO, doesn’t bother ONS member Pam Richardson, BSN, RN, OCN^®, at all; in fact, she hardly notices it.