ONS Fact Sheet

The Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) is a national specialty organization of over 35,000 registered nurses and other healthcare professionals dedicated to excellence in patient care, research, administration, and education in the field of oncology. More than 220 local chapters provide a network for education and peer support at the community level. In addition, more than 30 special interest groups (SIGs) facilitate national networking of members in subspecialty areas. ONS actively supports health policy initiatives that support the nursing workforce, access to care, and prevention and early detection of cancer.

ONS EDUCATION
Cancer care changes each and every day. Oncology nurses need to know about everything from new treatments and technologies to changes in managed care and evolving reimbursement policies.

ONS is committed to providing the most comprehensive education to help nurses stay at the top of their profession and provide the highest quality patient care possible. The Society is dedicated to offering educational programs that focus on the topics that affect oncology nurses and their patients.

Programs are provided in a variety of formats, including national conferences, regional workshops, online education, and print-based offerings, so that nurses can customize their learning.

ONS PUBLISHING DIVISION
Through its Publishing Division, ONS offers resources designed to assist the professional nurse and other members of the healthcare team to develop a foundation of knowledge about cancer care. Publications include:

• Oncology Nursing Forum
• Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing
• ONS Connect
• Standards of oncology nursing practice, education, and advanced practice
• Oncology nursing clinical practice manuals and guidelines
• A full range of books, monographs, and manuals on cancer and cancer care

ONS WEBSITE
ONS's award-winning Website offers the latest oncology news, online education opportunities, clinical practice and research information, career center, and legislative action information. Member-only access offers searchable, full-text articles from the Oncology Nursing Forum and the Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing.

ONS FOUNDATION
In 1981, the ONS Foundation was established to enhance the quality of cancer nursing and quality cancer care. Since 1982, the ONS Foundation has provided more than $17,650,000 in funding. The awards include research, education, leadership, academic, lectureships, career development awards, as well as cancer public education projects and scholarships to a.end the ONS Congress, Institutes of Learning and APN Conferences. In support of the ONS mission, the ONS Foundation funds national initiatives to develop, evaluate, and disseminate knowledge in areas critical to the future of oncology nursing. Internationally, the ONS Foundation assists the International Union Against Cancer in its efforts to fund fellowships for nurses from developing countries. To learn more, visit the ONS Foundation Web site at www.onsfoundation.org.

ONCOLOGY NURSING CERTIFICATION CORPORATION
In 1984, ONS founded the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC), to develop, administer, and evaluate programs for the certification of oncology nurses. The OCN^® (Oncology Certified Nurse) Examination tests the basic oncology nursing knowledge of the professional nurse. More than 20,000 nurses hold the OCN^® credential. The AOCN^® (Advanced Oncology Certified Nurse) Examination tests knowledge of advanced practice nursing in oncology. More than 1,400 oncology nurses hold the AOCN^® credential. The CPON^® (Certified Pediatric Oncology Nurse^®) Examination is designed to test knowledge of pediatric oncology nursing. There are more than 1,100 CPON^®-certified nurses.

In 2005, ONCC introduced two role-specific advanced certification examinations: the AOCNP (Advanced Oncology Certified Nurse Practitioner) and AOCNS (Advanced Oncology Certified Clinical Nurse Specialist). Currently, there are more than 250 AOCNP-certified nurses, and more than 100 nurses hold the AOCNS credential.

Visit the ONCC Web site at www.oncc.org or call 877-769-ONCC (toll free, US & Canada) for more information about oncology nursing certification.

ONSEdge
ONSEdge is a subsidiary of ONS delivering strategic consulting services to corporate clients in the pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical equipment/device industries and the advertising and public relations agencies that serve these industries. ONSEdge is dedicated to leveraging its access to the knowledge of oncology professionals to increase the success of its clients. Services include healthcare advisory board and speaker bureau programs, strategic planning and marketing support, sales force training support, market research and web-based surveys, and healthcare communications and awareness campaign development. For information, visit www.onsedge.com.

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