4th Annual School of Nursing Oncology: Virtual Meeting Brings the Latest Updates to Oncology Nurses

The world of oncology nursing continues to change and, perhaps now more than ever, it is crucial for nurses to stay up-to-date on the latest practices.

The 4^th Annual School of Nursing Oncology (SONO) meeting, occurring July 31 through August 1, will feature presentations from leaders in the field. The live, interactive webcast will include topics ranging from best practices for numerous tumor types, to achieving health equality and managing treatment expectations. By participating, nurses can also earn continuing education credits.

“I am really excited for our virtual 4th SONO conference this year, though I will certainly miss the fun of Nashville,” said meeting co-chair Beth Eaby-Sandy, MSN, CRNP, a nurse practitioner at the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

How oral therapies are changing oncology nursing will be just one of the topics discussed at this year’s meeting. As these types of treatments become more popular — especially in the wake of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, nurses must stay abreast on how that could change their practice.

“Many cancers are currently treated by oral anti-cancer agents. This has changed many aspects of oncology nursing,” said Patricia Jakel, MN, RN, AOCN, advanced practice nurse at UCLA's solid tumor program and co-editor in chief of Oncology Nursing News.

“Please remember that oral does not mean less side effects and do patients take the right dose at the right time? I will be discussing side effect management and adherence to oral medication in the breast cancer patient but it could apply to all cancer patients,” Jakel said.

Eaby-Sandy will also be talking about the newest therapies — particularly for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and small cell lung cancer (SCLC).

“This year I will be giving a thorough update on lung cancer, and just in the past year, there have been so many advances in lung cancer! We will have a robust discussion about the new options for immunotherapy for both NSCLC as well as SCLC as well as new approved targeted agents for new targets such as RET and MET,” she said.

“Join us on July 31 and August 1 for the most up-to-date information to help us as oncology nurses provide the best oncology care to our patients,” Eaby-Sandy added.

Don’t forget to register for the meeting by visiting gotoper.com.