Contributors

Now oncology nurses are experiencing high levels of stress, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and even burnout on top of new pandemic pressures. But most continue to uphold their commitment to providing quality patient care while remaining loyal to their colleagues by continuing to show up.

While COVID-19 continues to present much uncertainty for many people, those diagnosed with breast cancer are faced with unique challenges in navigating continued treatment.

Cancer care and the information around it has moved online.

Being a parent with cancer during a global pandemic brings added layers of challenge that may be more difficult to navigate without support.

Besides Facebook, Instagram, and Tik Tok to link them to the outside world, there are also cancer websites specifically geared for younger patients with cancer.

Your patient had a mastectomy and chemotherapy and is recovering on the post-op surgical oncology unit. She has 1 or 2 JPs (Jackson Pratt’s) which are drained on a prn basis and a surgical bra. The physical part of her recovery is in progress, but what about body image issues?

Health care providers play a significant role in the patient’s perception of the disease. Knowledge, attitude, and office atmosphere contribute to better psychological outcomes.

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

Mindfulness can be a powerful tool to reduce stress and improve patients' outlook after being diagnosed with cancer.

People with genetic mutations are often confronted with an abundance of screening protocols that can be overwhelming.

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

Any patient with cancer needs a caregiver through the treatment journey, but it's even more vital for patients with cancer undergoing the stem cell transplant process.

Despite advanced technology and new treatment breakthroughs in cancer care, treatment disparity remains among African American women with breast cancer.

The stigma around palliative care is that it is only associated with end of life, and in some minds, giving up. But that isn't the case, as palliative care is a vital part of any critical care.

Among the various specialties of nursing, a sort of hierarchy has formed that may be putting competency with machines over nurse and patient interactions.

The grieving process doesn't stop when you think you're ready to go back to work, and it can be made worse when your coworkers are unsure how to console you. Which is why workplace assistance is essential for grieving employees.

A recent ranking of "the best" hospitals in the country did not take a key aspect of cancer care into proper consideration, the oncology nurse.

Retirement planning often never goes according to plan, but many oncology nurses are facing a retirement dilemma forced upon them by decisions from the higher levels of their respective health systems.

To fight the issues of burnout within oncology nursing, nurses must allow others to step into their world and understand the issues they face.

Treatment adverse events (AEs) can affect patients’ self-esteem, but oncology nurses can help.

Technology continues to change the field of cancer care. Here are some other thoughts on what else might shift in coming years.

Collaboration among nurses is paramount, and when they come together the best outcome is patient satisfaction.

People often ask nurses where the best hospital or doctor for cancer treatment is. How much does the answer to that question matter?

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

Adolescent and young adult survivors may have increased risk factors for secondary cancers. It is crucial for oncology nurses to discuss these with their patients.

The nursing shortage will be severe, ultimately increasing the number of burnout syndrome among nurses. Nurses will have to take an active role in their own lives to minimize burnout.

Patients who are diagnosed with cancer have cancer, cancer does not have them; they reflect what it means to be strong, a perfect picture of tenacity.

A cancer diagnosis and treatment can constitute a trauma for many people. Knowing about the ways in which trauma affects us can help providers and loved ones deliver better care to those undergoing cancer treatments.

It is imperative for oncology nurses to know about all the drugs and supplements that their patients are taking.