For this episode of “The Vitals,” we spoke with Patricia Jakel, MN, RN, AOCN, University of California Los Angeles Health, and Elspeth Knill-Selby, a nurse practitioner in breast surgery at Yale University School of Medicine. The 2 experts discuss the rewards of mentorship—from both a providing and receiving perspective, as well as the importance of nurturing young nurses as they transition to acute care.

“I think to be a well-rounded mentor, you have to have a good sense of self and understand yourself—and be able to articulate your feelings in a positive way.”

“I think I look at mentorship as kind of nurturing somebody along the way, and hopefully contributing to their success in what it is that they choose to do. In nursing, sometimes, and in medicine as well, people can kind of ‘eat their young’, so to speak. Therefore, I would look at it as nurturing and trying to create an environment that's not threatening—because certainly when you go in to nursing, and when you go into [an] advanced practice role, it's scary.”

Podcasts

In this episode of “The Vitals,” 2 veteran oncology nurses discuss the value of mentorship—particularly for novice nurses. 

The Value of Nurse Mentorship in Oncology

For this episode of “The Vitals,” we spoke with Nikki Urban, a registered nurse and practice manager at Allegheny Health Network, about the implementation of a successful phone triage program at the oncology institution.

Urban discusses why the program came about, some of its successes, and how a phone triage program can bring value to an oncology center.

“The phone triage process is a patient-centered initiative that really has patient access in mind,” Urban explains. “The initiative has provided the opportunity for patients to call in and have their concerns addressed in a real-time fashion with an oncology-trained nurse.”

Urban added, “I know sometimes patients will call in [and say] ‘Oh, my goodness, I have a real person that I'm speaking to.’ Patients have been excited about it, and the oncology triage team is able to immediately address symptoms, assess patients, and decide if a patient needs a same-day visit or [if] they need to come into our infusion office for supportive care. They can schedule those appointments right at the point of the call.”

In this episode of “The Vitals,” Nikki Urban, RN, discusses the successful implementation of a phone triage program at Allegheny Health Network.

Access-Focused Care: The 4-1-1 on Oncology Phone Triage Programs

Cisplatin is a life-saving drug, says Bruce Carleton, PharmD, FCP, FISPE. However, although the drug has lifesaving benefits, it also causes some degree of hearing loss in about 60% of children who receive this therapy. Furthermore, about 40% of children who receive cisplatin require hearing aids for the rest of their lives as a result of treatment.

In this episode of “The Vitals,” Carleton, of the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Translational Therapeutics, at the University of British Columbia, spoke with 

® about balancing the beneficial effects of cisplatin with it’s potential to cause permanent hearing loss, in children with solid tumors. He discusses a study he recently co-authored, whose findings indicate that children under the age of 5 years are at an increased risk of developing hearing loss because of this treatment, compared with children older than the age of 5, as well as comments on how genetics may one day play a role in reducing the risk of hearing loss in this patient population.

The study assessed 368 pediatric patients with cancer by conducting over 2000 audiological assessments before, during, and after receiving cisplatin treatment. Three years after starting therapy, 75% of patients aged 5 years and younger, and 48% of patients aged older than 5 years had experienced cisplatin-induced hearing loss. According to Carleton, these findings demonstrate a need for routine audiological assessments for children who receive this treatment.

“At the end of every cycle, we should [conduct] a hearing assessment, and we should follow the toxic course of this drug,” he says. “The legitimate concern among some clinicians is that if patients or parents know that their child is developing hearing loss, they're more likely to say, ‘Do we really have to give them this cisplatin?’”

On this episode of “The Vitals,” an expert in genetics discusses ongoing research to address cisplatin-induced hearing loss in pediatric patients with cancer.


Balancing the Benefit and Toxicity of Cisplatin in Young Children with Cancer

For this episode of “The Vitals,” we spoke with Christopher Zorn, clinic operations administrator of Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University, and Gianna Bayci, RN, of the University of Chicago Medicine, about how to foster a safe, yet festive, holiday environment in oncology clinics and floors.

The 2 experts discuss talking to patients about their approach to family gatherings, incorporating festive costumes into the oncology environment, and some favorite holiday memories from over the years.

“Flexibility and adaptability are key. Gathering around the holidays can [be] stressful during [the] best of times, and for those that are going through a cancer journey and are potentially immunocompromised, that stress is heightened even more...We advise our patients: ‘Do what you feel comfortable doing, you don’t have to force yourself to do anything extra, [and] it is okay to set up appropriate boundaries.’”

In this episode of “The Vitals,” 2 health care professionals discuss how to safely celebrate the holidays in oncology units. 

Merry and Bright: Bringing a Festive Air into the Oncology Space for the Holidays

For this episode of “The Vitals,” Oncology Nursing News spoke with Joe Contreras, MD, about 3 common myths patients have about palliative care. Dr. Contreras, chair of the Institute of Pain and Palliative Medicine, Hackensack Meridian Health, debunks these misconceptions by explaining how palliative care is a specialty, rather than a setting, of medicine, and that patients who receive this care while undergoing active treatment may achieve better outcomes.

For National Hospice and Palliative Care Awareness Month, Joe Contreras, MD, spoke to Oncology Nursing News® about some common misconceptions between the 2 and how oncology nurses can more effectively speak with their patients about palliative care. 

Debunking 3 Common Myths Patients with Cancer Have About Palliative Care

For this episode of “The Vitals,” Oncology Nursing News spoke with Gretchen McNally, APRN-CNP, and Kathy Burns, MS, APRN-CNS, AGCNS-BC, Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, on the importance of being mindful about one’s implicit bias in the treatment of patients with cancer who have substance use disorders.

“It is not a ‘one and done kind of thing.” It is very important to implement these skills throughout the community. It's a practice. It's a behavioral change.”

Addressing Implicit Bias in Oncology Nursing

For this episode of “The Vitals,” we spoke with Kristin Barber, FNP-BC, AOCNP, Huntsman Cancer Institute, about understanding the MAP kinase signaling pathway and some of the ongoing trials targeting these mutations in gastrointestinal oncology.

Barber discussed some of the ongoing phase 1 trials she is participating in and how she hopes the results of these trials could change patient outcomes following targeted treatment.

“Previously, this mutation has been undruggable, but this is now changing.”



Targeting KRAS Mutations in Gastrointestinal Oncology 

For this episode of “The Vitals,” we spoke with Martin Dietrich, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Central Florida, a fellow of the American College of Physicians, and a medical oncologist at Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute. Dietrich highlighted some recent advances and ongoing research in stage III non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and discussed some of the ways immunotherapy and targeted therapy has evolved in recent years.

“I think the biggest [change] that we’ve seen is the addition of adjuvant or consolidated chemotherapy following the completion of concurrent chemotherapy and radiation. We have seen the 4-year overall survival data now and the 5-year update from the PACIFIC study in the adjuvant setting, obviously confirming the initial signal that patients who have initiation of immunotherapy early carry a significant risk reduction for progression and overall survival…”

Expert Discusses Biggest Updates in NSCLC Treatment 

For this episode of “The Vitals,” we spoke with Chastity Washington, MPH, CHES, Center for Cancer Health Equity, Ohio State University, about how the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated preexisting disparities in cancer care. Chastity spoke to our team about the direct and indirect impacts of COVID 19 on disadvantaged communities, vaccine hesitancy amongst those communities, and more.


“We’ve had periods of time where things were shut down. We do have telemedicine, that was expanded, but telemedicine doesn’t work for everyone. If you don’t have internet access, if you don’t have the ability to understand the technology….”


COVID-19 Pandemic Emphasizes Disparities in Cancer Care

For this episode, we spoke with Eloise Theisen, RN, MSN, AGPCNP-BC, current president of the American Cannabis Nurses Association (ACNA). She spoke to us about some the benefits and applications of medical cannabis for patients with cancer, some of the challenges and interesting updates in medical cannabis research, and how nurses can talk to their patients about cannabis, as well as monitor their patients for potential cannabis-related adverse events.

Over half of the states in the United States have legalized medical cannabis. What does that mean for nurses who care for patients with cancer?