Commentary

Amplifying the Global Impact of Oncology Nursing

Lisa Kennedy Sheldon

cancer care, global initiatives, oncology nursing, leadership, advocacy
CJON 2022, 26(3), 237-238. DOI: 10.1188/22.CJON.237-238

Nurses are having a moment. The contributions of nursing to health and cancer care have never been more visible, recognized, and respected on local and global levels. Although care delivery has been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, we are moving into a phase of recovery and reignition. In 2022, we have two groundbreaking initiatives to expand the reach and impact of oncology nurses on cancer care.

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    Nurses are having a moment. The contributions of nursing to health and cancer care have never been more visible, recognized, and respected on local and global levels. Although care delivery has been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, we are moving into a phase of recovery and reignition. In 2022, we have two groundbreaking initiatives to expand the reach and impact of oncology nurses on cancer care.

    The International Atomic Energy Agency and World Health Organization’s (2022) new manual, Setting Up a Cancer Centre: A WHO–IAEA Framework, proposes a global framework for the development of cancer centers, including the role of oncology nurses. In addition, the full manual details specialized oncology nursing roles and highlights supportive care, safe delivery of cancer treatments, and quality assurance. Members of the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS), in partnership with international nurse authors, contributed key information on cancer nursing roles, safe cancer treatment delivery, clinical guidelines, competencies, and specialty role certifications. The author team worked for three years to synthesize the contributions from many countries and organizations to emphasize the impact of oncology nurses in all cancer centers.

    In addition, a special oncology nursing session will be held at the Union for International Cancer Control’s (UICC, n.d.) World Cancer Congress in Geneva in October 2022. This session will include international oncology nursing leaders from the International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care (INSCC) and the Global Power of Oncology Nursing. The aim of this session is to highlight examples of successful, nurse-led cancer control strategies from multiple geographic regions and to demonstrate the power of nurses’ contributions in policy formation and implementation. The session highlights the impact of cancer nursing leaders and innovations to address the World Cancer Declaration targets (UICC, 2013), the development of specialty oncology nurse competencies for African countries, and the impact of the City Cancer Challenge projects developed by ISNCC.

    Additional opportunities for ONS members include the following:

    •  Consider becoming a leader in your chapter or at state and national levels. Participating on the ONS Leadership Development Committee and with ONS Capitol Hill Days are two great ways to develop as a nurse leader.

    •  Check out ISNCC (www.isncc.org) for resources and calls for committees. ISNCC provides leadership development and is the global voice for cancer nursing, representing more than 60,000 nurses in member organizations, including ONS.

    Although cancer care has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, it has also forced innovative ways to connect and advance health care. We are better connected with technology and virtual meetings. Oncology nurses bring experience in navigation of healthcare systems, infection protection, the use of personal protective equipment, and telehealth to the new healthcare landscape. Recovery and acceleration will require using innovative models to reach patients where they are—at home, online, or in the cancer center. We can also reach nurses and collaborate on training initiatives without concerns for geography.

    Let us take this moment to amplify the specialty of oncology nursing at the local and global levels. As the single largest global workforce, nurses are instrumental not only in developing novel interventions for people with cancer in the setting of a pandemic, but also in implementing cancer control strategies and participating in national and international oncology planning. Ways to connect with other nurses interested in leading cancer care in our organization and with global partners include the following:

    •  Join and follow the ONS Communities (https://communities.ons.org) for opportunities to connect, volunteer, and serve.

    •  Consider volunteering and eLearning initiatives for oncology nurses through organizations, such as the International Cancer Corps of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American Cancer Society Clinicians Volunteer Corps to support Ukraine, Health Volunteers Overseas, and ISNCC (see Figure 1).

    Nurses are stronger together. We can build our profession, leaders, and cancer centers to ignite the next phase of cancer care. In 2022, we have recognition at the international level with two major initiatives. Let us develop nurse leaders to operationalize the impact of our specialty on cancer care locally, and collaborate with other professions, patients, and policymakers to amplify the voice of oncology nurses globally.

    About the Author(s)

    Lisa Kennedy Sheldon, PhD, ANP-BC, AOCNP®, CGNC, FAAN, is a global certified nurse consultant and an oncology nurse practitioner at St. Joseph Hospital in Nashua, NH. The author takes full responsibility for this content and did not receive honoraria or disclose any relevant financial relationships. Kennedy Sheldon can be reached at lisakennedysheldon@gmail.com, with copy to CJONEditor@ons.org.

     

    References

    International Atomic Energy Agency and World Health Organization. (2022). Setting up a cancer centre: A WHO–IAEA framework. https://bit.ly/3khef2R

    Union for International Cancer Control. (2013). World Cancer Declaration 2013. https://www.uicc.org/sites/main/files/atoms/files/131119_UICC_WorldCanc…

    Union for International Cancer Control. (n.d.). Word Cancer Congress 2022: A hybrid event in Geneva. https://bit.ly/35T2GeL