Mike Hennessy Sr

As the year 2020 comes to a close, health care providers around the globe may be looking back at the challenges they have faced and the struggles they continue to withstand as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues.

Oncology nurses are a rare breed. They not only stay abreast of the constantly changing world of oncology to ensure the best treatment for their patients, but also provide another level of care, showing love and support to patients with cancer and their families. Nurses change people’s lives, but for them, it’s just another day’s work.

For many oncology nurses, caring for patients with cancer is the driving force inspiring them to come in to work, day after day. But issues with hospital or clinic administration plus the global coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19) pandemic are causing health care professionals to experience burnout or compassion fatigue.

I believe there is no better time than now for designating 2020 the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife. Nurses have been tireless in adapting the ways in which they provide cancer care, while ensuring patients continue to receive the best possible treatment.

Nurses were among the group of professionals who were on the frontlines fighting the disease, and often risking their own health and safety to do so.

Because of the oncology nurse’s intimate role on the care team, patients often come to trust their nurse’s perspective, which positions the nurse as a go-to resource for all of the patient’s treatment related questions.

Here's what you can expect from the latest edition of Oncology Nursing News®!

Because nurses bridge the gap between advocate and provider, they are in the perfect position to recognize patients’ needs and seek solutions for those undergoing radiation therapy.

“This month’s feature article reveals what oncology nurses say when others ask, ‘Isn’t your job depressing?’”

This letter from the Chairman and CEO of Oncology Nursing News gives an overview of the contents of the December 2018 print issue of the magazine.

This letter from the Chairman and CEO of Oncology Nursing News gives an overview of the contents of the October 2018 print issue of the magazine.

This letter from the Chairman and CEO of Oncology Nursing News gives an overview of the contents of the September 2018 print issue of the magazine.

This letter from the Chairman and CEO of Oncology Nursing News gives an overview of the contents of the July 2018 print issue of the magazine.

This letter from the Chairman and CEO of Oncology Nursing News gives an overview of the contents of the June 2018 print issue of the magazine.

This letter from the Chairman and CEO of Oncology Nursing News® gives an overview of the contents of the April 2018 print issue of the magazine.

This letter from the Chairman and CEO of Oncology Nursing News® gives an overview of the contents of the March 2018 print issue of the magazine.

This letter from the Chairman and CEO of Oncology Nursing News® gives an overview of the contents of the February 2018 print issue of the magazine.

This letter from the Chairman and CEO of Oncology Nursing News gives an overview of the contents of the December 2017 print magazine.

Discoveries are made every day in the treatment of cancer. Fortunately, many are now in the form of oral drugs, which offer convenience to patients, who can take them from the comfort of their home instead of having to travel to a cancer center. But that easy accessibility comes with a cost: nonadherence.

Coordination of care, facilitated by a navigator, is central to the Oncology Care Model.

"I continue to be impressed by how one individual’s good idea can eventually become practice-changing."

Every year, when our editors return from the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Congress, they remark on how inspiring and informative this event always proves to be, as thousands of oncology nurses gather to exchange insights and share their research, all with a single purpose in mind: to improve the lives of people coping with cancer and the caregivers who love them.

In this magazine, we often report on the outstanding and compassionate care that oncology nurses provide to patients and their families, but it’s also important to highlight the care that these dedicated professionals need to provide to themselves.