ONS Excellence Awards

All awards, grants, and scholarships are tentative and subject to change based on funding availability.

Excellence in Surgical Oncology


Award: Monetary award of $250, a plaque, plus up to $1,000 travel and one day per diem to attend the Opening Ceremony at Congress.

Purpose: To recognize and support excellence of nursing contributions to surgical oncology.

Nominee's Eligibility Criteria:
The candidate must meet the following criteria:

  • Be a registered professional nurse and an active ONS member
  • Have at least two years of oncology nursing experience
  • Be a recognized expert in the field of surgical oncology (e.g., through publications, presentations, research, and peer review)
  • Made a significant contribution to one or more of the following related to surgical oncology: professional/patient education, clinical practice, and/or nursing research
  • Serve as a role model for other nurses.

Criteria: The scoring criteria for judging this nomination packet is as follows:

  • ONS involvement: Participation should include involvement at the local or national level.
    • Includes membership on committees, holding office, or task force participation.
  • Recognized expert in the field of surgical oncology nursing, contributing to the development of surgical oncology nursing practice.
    • Includes articles in newsletters, journals, reports, video, multimedia, computer assisted instruction, chapters in books (do not include research here, include research in last criteria point)
  • Significant contribution to the following areas:
    • Patient/professional education related to surgical oncology nursing
    • Presentations
    • Examples in letters of role modeling
    • Specific educational interventions
    • Program development
    • Adjunct faculty to preceptor for students
  • Clinical practice related to surgical oncology:
    • Theoretical concepts used
    • Nursing process used
    • Professional development of self and others
    • Multidisciplinary collaboration
    • Quality assurance
    • Ethical decision-making used
    • Reviews/applies nursing research
  • Surgical oncology research
    • Independent or collaborative research

Application Process
The October 31st awards submission deadline has now passed. Please note that selected award recipients will be notified in early 2012. The next awards cycle will commence after ONS Congress (May, 2012) and individual award applications will be posted at that time.