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Oncology nurses showcase ‘passion for excellence’ at 40th ONS Congress
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The Oncology Nursing Society 40th Annual Congress brought together more than 3,000 nurses with a passion for excellence in the care they provide, as well as a desire to network with peers and learn the latest oncology nursing research to support that care.
As a nurse with more than 30 years of experience, it was both personally and professionally rewarding to reflect on how both the organization and the specialty of oncology nursing have grown since the society formed in 1975.
The congress — held April 23-26 in Orlando, Florida — featured notable changes, as conference organizers moved to integrate special sessions for advanced practice nurses and nurse scientists. These included tumor board sessions led by advanced practice nurses and an increased number of interdisciplinary sessions. Nurse scientists benefited from a special research track.
Paula T. Rieger
Other changes benefitted all attendees. These included the use of e-posters, a congress app, live streaming of selected sessions and special events in the learning hall. One highlight of the latter was the presentation of the ONS “Get up, Get Moving” video. This program is designed to equip nurses with evidence-based interventions to incorporate recommendations for physical activity for patients during their treatment cycle.
The e-posters — which used a large monitor to display multimedia versions of the poster — gave presenters an opportunity to more effectively convey information that would not necessarily be possible with a traditional printed poster.
The tracks were so successful, the planning team will evaluate creating more tracks for the 2016 conference, scheduled for April 28 to May 1 in San Antonio.
Notable sessions
This year’s congress included several notable general sessions and announcements.
Kevin W. Sowers, RN, MSN, FAAN, director, president and CEO of Duke University Hospital, provided the opening keynote address, titled “Transforming the Future.”
This inspirational address reflected upon key organizational milestones during the last 40 years that have impacted the specialty, such as the publication of standards of practice, chemotherapy guidelines, and the start of the Oncology Nursing Form — the bimonthly ONS journal — in 1977.
Sowers also looked to the future, as he described the expected increase in the number of cancer cases, as well as the pressures institutions and providers face as the health care system moves toward payment based on quality outcomes and accountability (ie, value-based reimbursement) rather than the traditional fee-for-service model.
As Sowers noted, the status quo is unsustainable; therefore, interdisciplinary care — with nurses taking leadership roles — will be crucial to design care models that provide a positive patient experience, as well as cost-effective and sustainable delivery systems.
‘Choosing Wisely’
One of the most exciting announcements came April 23, when attendees received an American Academy of Nursing press release that announced oncology recommendations in the Choosing Wisely campaign.
ONS was represented on the American Academy of Nursing’s Choosing Wisely Task Force, created to identify practices that are frequently used but are not always necessary or in the best interest of patients.
The recommendations are:
A detailed list of these interventions and supportive studies is available in downloadable PDF format at www.choosingwisely.org/societies/american-academy-of-nursing.
Transitional care
Other highlights included the Bench to the Bedside lecture, started in 2002 as a way to highlight key scientific advances that led to changes in the treatment of patients.
The 2015 lecture — given by Jeffrey Engelman, MD, PhD, and Alexandra Wanat, RN, CPHON — focused on mechanisms of drug resistance. They covered the latest biological insights into mechanisms of resistance in targeted therapies and strategies to overcome them.
Jean Smith, RN, OCN, of Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, delivered a podium presentation on transitional care clinics. The presentation tied back to the keynote address and described a Fox Chase-initiated transitional care clinic (TCC) in an ambulatory oncology department.
Transitional care management (TCM) services have become an increasingly important strategy to improve patient outcomes after discharge.
On average, from 2007 to 2011, hospitals readmitted 19% of Medicare patients. As Medicare began targeting re-hospitalizations as a significant indicator of gaps in medical quality, hospitals have begun to implement strategies to decrease this rate. CMS data showed the readmission rate for the first 8 months of 2013 declined to less than 18%.
Effective TCM can reduce medication errors, better manage patients with complex comorbidities, improve dissatisfaction with quality of care, and reduce high rates of preventable readmissions and the associated high human and financial cost burden.
Smith noted the goal of the program was to prevent readmission within 30 days of discharge from hospital and improve patient outcomes. In her role as an ambulatory oncology triage nurse, Smith is responsible for initiating contact by phone with the patient and/or caregiver within 48 hours of discharge. During this interview, the assessed discharge status is compared with the discharge summary and medication reconciliation form completed by the hospitalist and medical oncologist. The call serves to identify cases that may need follow-up in the TCC earlier than the 2-week norm.
At follow-up, an in-person assessment is performed by the nurse, followed by the hospitalist who cared for the patient. The hospitalist finalizes the visit note, which is sent to the patient’s primary care physician with the medication reconciliation and discharge summary. The cancer center is currently collecting TCC outcomes data, including compliance, rate of readmissions, and overall patient satisfaction.
Awards
The presentation of the Distinguished Awards served as a highlight of the opening ceremony.
Deborah Mayer, PhD, RN, AOCN, FAAN, received the ONS Lifetime Achievement Award for her outstanding contributions to the field of oncology nursing and to ONS.
The award recognized Mayer — professor and director of cancer survivorship at the University of North Carolina and UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center — for her leadership within the society and in her community, and for exemplifying the mission and core values of ONS.
Mayer has consistently held leadership roles and represented oncology nursing for more than 40 years. She has served as committee chair, mentor, editor, treasurer and president of ONS.
In 1991, she received a presidential appointment to serve as a member of the NCI’s National Cancer Advisory Board, making her the first oncology nurse appointed. She also served on the Board of Scientific Advisors.
Deborah Watkins Bruner, RN, PhD, FAAN, received the Distinguished Researcher Award in recognition of her contributions to research that have enhanced the science and practice of oncology nursing.
Bruner — the Robert W. Woodruff professor of nursing, associate director of outcomes research at Winship Cancer Institute and professor of radiation oncology at Emory University — has made outstanding contributions to advance the scientific basis for practice.
In her address — titled “Chutes, ladders and other strategies to a successful career in science” — she presented her body of work on women’s sexual health and described paths to career success as a nurse researcher.
She is among the top 2% of all NIH-funded researchers in terms of total grant support, according to the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research. Her leadership and research work with patient-reported outcomes and symptom management across cancer sites, focusing on pelvic tumors, is well recognized. Bruner also is well known for her leadership at the NCI cooperative group level.
Within ONS, Bruner is recognized for publications in the ONS Guidelines Manual for radiation oncology nursing. In her address, she emphasized the importance of addressing the sexual health of women who have undergone gynecologic surgery.
‘Tremendous spirit’
I left the meeting fulfilled and proud of my colleagues and the care they provide every day to patients and their caregivers.
For the first time, I participated in the ONS Foundation/Pfizer Oncology 5K Fun Run/Walk & Wheelchair. The 25th annual event, which attracted 375 participants, raised $11,000 for the Ann Olson Memorial Scholarship Fund, which supports oncology nurses who pursue higher education.
The tremendous spirit and energy of congress attendees spilled over to the ONS Foundation throughout the 4 days in Orlando. Congress attendees came together in support of the mission of the ONS Foundation, raising $89,000 in honor of the society’s 40th anniversary.
This amazing act of support highlights the fact that oncology nurses deeply believe in the value of the ONS Foundation’s three core pillars — education, research and leadership — and how the foundation impacts oncology nurses, as well as the patients and families they serve.
Between the generosity of the congress attendees and those who participated in the 25th annual fun run, $100,000 was raised in support of oncology nurse-focused programs and research during the 40th ONS Congress. Since 1981, the ONS Foundation has awarded more than $24 million in awards, grants and scholarships to oncology nurses around the world, ultimately bringing a higher level of care to countless patients living with cancer. To learn more about this incredible organization, go to www.onsfoundation.org.
See you next year in San Antonio!
For more information:
Paula T. Rieger, RN, MSN, CAE, FAAN, is a Texas-based oncology consultant. She previously served as chief executive officer of The Oncology Nursing Society. She can be reached at ptrieger@pdq.net.