“[Certified nurses] are pioneering, dedicated, and visionary people. They see their professional world differently and consider their role to be critically important. Their primary aim is to provide consistently high-quality care and continually improve the results of that care.”
— Julie Ponto, RN, MS, AOCN^®, APRN-BC, President of the ONCC Board of Directors

Dedicated to Excellence
The Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC) continued in 2003 to develop the oncology nursing workforce. Through certification, oncology nurses demonstrate specialized knowledge to care for patients with cancer.

In 2003, plans to use computer and Internet resources came to fruition. Candidates now may register for, pay for, and schedule examinations online. Examinations are administered on easy-to-use computers at testing sites throughout the country, and candidates know whether they passed before leaving testing sites. ONCC also established a new, secure Internet site for submission of test questions, allowing those who write questions to submit them on an ongoing basis and streamlining the process of reviewing and choosing questions for the tests.

Also in 2003, ONCC completed role delineation studies for the AOCN^® and CPON^® examinations. Role delineation studies serve as validation that test content accurately reflects practice. The results of the AOCN^® role delineation study revealed discernible differences in the work responsibilities of oncology nurse practitioners and oncology clinical nurse specialists. Therefore, the ONCC Board of Directors has decided to develop two separate certification examinations for nurses in these roles. The new advanced examinations will first be administered in 2005. The content of the CPON^® examination was revised in January 2004 based on the role delineation study.

At the end of 2003, there were more than 20,300 oncology certified nurses. Throughout the year, 2,065 nurses passed the OCN^® certification examination, 183 passed the AOCN^® examination, and 155 passed the CPON^® examination. Almost 3,500 nurses renewed their certification through the Oncology Nursing Certification Points Renewal Option in 2003.

Recognizing Leaders
ONCC makes an ongoing effort to promote and recognize institutions and individual nurses. In 2003, ONCC named Helen Pavilonis, RN, MSN, OCN^®, the 11th OCN^® of the Year; Lisa Hansen, RN, MS, CNS, AOCN^®, the 7th AOCN^® of the Year; and Kathy Bertolone, RN, MSN, CFNP, CPON^®, the 2nd CPON^® of the Year. The 6th recipient of the Employer Recognition Award was Baton Rouge General Regional Medical Center in Louisiana. ONCC also awarded 50 Roberta Scofield Memorial Certification Awards, which pay the registration fees for certification or recertification.

In 2004, ONCC will encourage more nurses to reap the benefits of certification for themselves and their patients. We look forward to another year of dedicating ourselves to the profession of oncology nursing.

ONCC 2003 Income and Expenses