Maggie A. Smith, DNP, MSN/Ed, RN, OCN

The wrath of the pandemic swept through our nation and continues to run rampant, testing our resiliency as nurses. Nurse leaders, we must continue to lead by example and remain a united front with our team.

As nurses, we are at the frontline of delivering and coordinating patient care.

New perspectives, new faces of leadership, new leadership styles, all can create new opportunities with more voices being heard.

Leadership shares a unique commonality despite the profession an individual chooses; it is a universal language that is spoken despite the native tongue.

Leadership is not always a title, it is an action.

Empathy and cultural competency are two vital traits for an oncology nurse to have.

Putting yourself as No. 1 on your to-do list is not selfish or inconsiderate; it is your right, and it shows that you are making an informed decision to practice self-care.

Every year I attend the ONS Congress, and I find it to be an educational high, as I enjoy seeing oncology nurses from around the globe come together, networking, sharing best practices, mentoring, and presenting the latest and greatest data in oncology practice to our peers. This year, I will be presenting on the topic of leadership.

As oncology nurses we need to be aware of complementary therapies and how they may potentially interact with our conventional therapies.

As oncology nurses, we are uniquely positioned to proactively address the disparity in breast cancer mortality in the United States.

Nurses can influence patients’ health status directly through hands-on care and indirectly by engaging patients in their treatment.

Nurse leaders gathered to share innovative ideas to enhance the oncology nursing profession at this year’s Oncology Nursing Society Chapter Leadership Workshop, held in Pittsburgh from July 20-22.

More nurses are moving away from the stereotypical role as a bedside nurse and applying their skills to non-traditional roles.

Leadership and mentorship give me purpose as a professional.

Immuno-Oncology (IO) and novel agents targeting the microenvironment were the focus of the 2018 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).