Oncology nurse navigators are known for identifying gaps in cancer care, being proactive in setting goals to address them, and designing specific interventions that lead not only to better-and measurable-outcomes but also to increased patient satisfaction.
Imagine a woman with a weight problem who, two weeks after chemotherapy, goes to her doctor with a urinary tract infection and a rash on her upper chest.
Sandra Spoelstra, PhD, RN, Assistant Professor, College of Nursing, Michigan State University, explains some of the reasons why cancer patients don't adhere to their oral medications.
Beth Calmes, MSN, RN, oncology unit, Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, explains what honor bathing is and how it impacts the family members of the recently deceased patient.
Marianne Davies, RN, MSN, ACNP, AOCN, Smilow Cancer Hospital, Yale School of Nursing, discusses how to determine which patients are eligible for immunotherapy.
The concerns a family might have when a loved one develops squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity might seem obvious: fear that the patient will have a shorter life due to advanced disease, empathy for her pain, and a feeling of isolation in facing a rare presentation of cancer.
Kathy Wilkinson, RN, BSN, OCN, Manager, Cancer Research, Billings Clinic Cancer Center, discusses the role that nurse's play in clinical trials.
Do social media platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook represent an opportunity for oncology nurses to network and keep up with the latest in evidence-based practice, or are they a time-sucking nuisance, and even worse, a possible professional landmine?
While clinical trials remain a treatment option and play a significant role in furthering cancer research in treatment, symptom management and survivorship, less than 5% of patients participate in them, and 40% of patients report that they do not understand the idea of a clinical trial.
In a moving ceremony that drew tears from many in a crowd of nearly 1000, one outstanding nurse was recognized last night with CURE magazine's 2015 Extraordinary Healer Award for Oncology Nursing.
Using a color-coded, pocket-sized early warning scorecard has the potential to help nurses and other clinicians assess when cancer patients are deteriorating, and it's an intervention that could help avoid acute hospitalizations and even save lives, according to two clinical nurse specialists from Johns Hopkins who shared their experience with piloting an early warning tool.
Erica Fischer-Cartlidge MSN, CNS, CBCN, AOCNS, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Outpatient Breast Medicine Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses the difference between oral mucositis in patients receiving chemotherapy and patients taking an mTOR inhibitor.
Alice S. Kerber, MN, APRN, ACNS-BC, AOCN, APNG, Oncology Nurse Specialist, Georgia Center for Oncology Research and Education, explains how oncology nurses and genetic counselors will work together as the field of cancer genetics continues to grow.
Insomnia, restless leg syndrome, sleep apnea, and other sleep issues often affect quality of life in cancer patients, their caregivers, and survivors. Unfortunately, sleep complaints can often be overlooked by the medical staff or not mentioned by the patient.
Christopher R. Friese, PhD, RN, AOCN, FAAN, assistant professor, Division of System Leadership and Effectiveness Science, University of Michigan School of Nursing, discusses the benefits of using a systematic approach to assess toxicities of patients treated with chemotherapy.
Anna Ferguson RN, BSN, research nurse, Johns Hopkins Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses how to talk about hope with patients who have been diagnosed with cancer.
Michelle Farnan, RN, MSN, OCN, palliative care nurse coordinator, Penn State Hershey Medical Center, discusses the impact of a palliative care screening tool for inpatient oncology patients.
Jeannine Brant, PhD, APRN, AOCN, oncology clinical nurse specialist, nurse scientist, Billings Clinic, discusses the best way to integrate palliative care and what role the nurse can play in palliative care.
Approximately one-third of cancer survivors in the US reported a financial problem or the need to modify work plans.
Eighty-nine percent of patients with cancer reported making lifestyle modifications to cope with the high costs of cancer treatment, and more than one-third altered their medical care, according to the results of a new nationwide survey, underscoring the need for oncology practitioners to screen for and anticipate potentially harmful cost-coping behavior to alleviate patient distress and promote optimal care.
A "co-rounding" model partnering medical oncologists with palliative care specialists was associated with improved outcomes at an inpatient oncology unit, according to a retrospective cohort analysis presented at a presscast ahead of the 2014 Palliative Care in Oncology Symposium.
A telephone-based symptom monitoring and coaching system not only alleviated hospice patients' symptoms during their final weeks of life, it also improved the well-being of family caregivers, according to a new study.
Matthew Burke, MBA, RN, MSN, APRN-BC, Oncology Nurse Practitioner/Melanoma and Renal Cell Carcinoma, Yale New Haven Hospital, discusses managing immune-mediated adverse events (IMAEs)
Nicole Makris, BA, Emory University, discusses the findings that analyzed the HPV vaccination habits of women who have sex with women versus women who have sex with men.
Attendees at the 2014 ONS Annual Congress were encouraged to "Get Up, Get Moving" by recommending physical activity to improve patient outcomes.
Archana Ajmera, RN, MSN, WHNP-BC, ANP-BC, nurse practitioner, University of California, San Francisco, Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses stomatitis prevention during everolimus/exemestane treatment for metastatic breast cancer.
Nearly half of cancer patients do not discuss sexuality with their healthcare providers, but that doesn't mean it isn't a concern for them.
Advances in precision medicine for the treatment of melanoma include novel small-molecule inhibitors targeting signal transduction pathways in BRAF and NRAS mutations and cutting-edge drugs in the area of immune-modulation, whereby the patient's own immune system is mobilized to attack the tumor.
Gwen Wyatt, PhD, RN, Professor, College of Nursing, Michigan State University, discusses a study that looks at acupressure to aid in relieving persistent cancer-related fatigue in breast cancer survivors.
With an increasing number of cancer therapies being delivered orally, the importance of adherence continues to grow, and efforts to adapt adherence programs from other conditions like HIV could lead to better outcomes.
