- Oncology Nursing Society
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The Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) is a nonprofit membership organization of more than 37,000 registered nurses and other healthcare providers dedicated to excellence in patient care, education, research, and administration in oncology nursing.[1] [2]
ONS traces its origin to the first National Cancer Nursing Research Conference, supported by the American Nurses Association and the American Cancer Society in 1973. Following this conference, a small group of oncology nurses met to discuss the need for a national organization to support their profession. Since its official incorporation in 1975[2], ONS has become a leader in cancer care. It has grown to include 231 chapters and 27 special interest groups. It provides information and education to nurses around the world. In addition, the society plays an active role in advocacy activities at the local, state, national, and international levels.[1]
ONS members are a diverse group of professionals who represent a variety of professional roles, practice settings, and subspecialty practice areas. Registered nurses, including staff nurses, advanced practice nurses, case managers, educators, researchers, and consultants, and other healthcare professionals, are eligible for membership. The society offers information and resources for nurses at all levels, in all practice settings, and in all subspecialties.[1]
Contents
Mission, vision, core values, and strategic plan
ONS’s mission is to promote excellence in oncology nursing and quality cancer care.[1]
ONS’s vision is to lead the transformation of cancer care.[1]
ONS’s core values are[3]
- Integrity
- Innovation
- Stewardship
- Advocacy
- Excellence
- Inclusiveness.
ONS’s strategic plan for 2009–2012 focuses on three areas.[4]
- Advocacy: Within cancer care, ONS advocates for (a) an influential voice for oncology nursing, (b) reimbursement for cancer services, (c) access to cancer care and clinical trials, (d) elimination of health disparities, and (e) prevention of tobacco use. Within the nursing profession, ONS advocates for the nursing shortage and nursing practice issues.
- Knowledge: Within cancer care, ONS educates its members, other healthcare practitioners, and the public on (a) biology and cancer, (b) survivorship, and (c) emerging trends in diagnosis and treatment. Within the nursing profession, ONS uses the knowledge of experienced members and staff to (a) prepare the nursing workforce for the future, (b) introduce new specialty education models, (c) provide for faculty development, (d) educate non-oncology nurses, and (e) generate and apply oncology nursing research.
- Partnership: ONS’s cancer care partnerships are driven by advocacy and focus on what knowledge partnerships can bring. For the nursing profession, ONS develops partnerships with schools of nursing, advanced practice nursing professional societies, and the international community.
Nursing education
ONS is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. ONS is also accredited as a provider of continuing education by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider #2850.[5] [6]
ONS offers online and in-person education for oncology nurses to stay current on the latest cancer treatments and symptom management techniques. The society also holds one biennial and three annual national conferences.
- Congress (held every spring)
- Institutes of Learning (held every November)
- Advanced Practice Nursing Conference (held every November)
- Conference on Cancer Nursing Research (held every other February)
Putting Evidence Into Practice
In 2006, ONS project teams first began releasing recommendations based on synthesized evidence in research literature for a variety of nursing interventions for various side effects of cancer and its treatment. By ranking each intervention according to the quality of research support, ONS created quick-reference, evidence-based resources for healthcare professionals to easily identify treatments that either are “recommended for practice,” are “likely to be effective,” have “benefits balanced with harm,” whose “effectiveness is not established,” whose “effectiveness is unlikely,” or are “not recommended for practice.”[7] [8]
Called “Putting Evidence Into Practice” or PEP, the resources are available for the following topics.[7]
- Anorexia
- Anxiety
- Caregiver strain and burden
- Constipation
- Depression
- Diarrhea
- Dyspnea
- Fatigue
- Lymphedema
- Mucositis
- Nausea and vomiting
- Pain
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Prevention of bleeding
- Prevention of infection
- Sleep/wake disturbances
Publications
Advocacy
ONS participates in a variety of advocacy activities, both individually and as part of large coalitions and consensus communities. It advocates to ensure that nursing, and especially oncology nursing, has a seat at the table and a voice in legislation affecting patients with cancer or oncology nurses.
For example, ONS signed on to the nursing consensus statement to improve patients’ access to, cost, and quality of treatment as part of the 2010 healthcare reform.[9] It also advocated with the nursing community for nursing provisions to be included as part of the healthcare reform bills.[10]
Cancer Patient Treatment Education Bill
With Representatives Steve Israel and [11] as the bill sponsors, ONS introduced the Assuring and Improving Cancer Treatment Education and Cancer Symptom Act (H.R. 1927) to the House of Representatives in 2009. The legislation would provide for Medicare reimbursement of the time that registered nurses spend educating people diagnosed with cancer and their caregivers about their disease and the effects of treatment.[12][13] The bill will be reintroduced in the 112th U.S. Congress.
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e About ONS http://www.ons.org/about
- ^ a b http://www.nursezone.com/nursing-news-events/more-features/It-Begins-with-an-RN-Pearl-Moore-ONS-CEO_20842.aspx
- ^ ONS’s Core Values http://www.ons.org/about/CoreValues
- ^ ONS Strategic Plan http://onsopcontent.ons.org/CorporateReports/strategic.shtml
- ^ Institutes of Learning Conference Syllabus http://www.ons.org/CNECentral/Conferences/IOL/2010/learn/Syllabus
- ^ http://www.nursecredentialing.org/Accreditation/Accredited-Providers.aspx
- ^ a b Putting Evidence Into Practice http://www.ons.org/Research/PEP
- ^ http://production.americannursetoday.com/Article.aspx?id=7308&fid=6856
- ^ Commitment to Quality Health Reform http://www.ons.org/media/ons/docs/LAC/HealthcareReform.pdf
- ^ [Letter to Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid] http://www.ons.org/media/ons/docs/LAC/pdf/correspondence/111/hcreformconference1-6-2010.pdf
- ^ Pat Tiberi
- ^ “Congress reintroduces legislation to ensure patient education is part of standard care for people with cancer” http://www.ons.org/LAC/media/ons/docs/LAC/pdf/patientedlegislationreintroduced2009.pdf
- ^ http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h111-1927
External links
Categories:- Nursing organizations
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