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Recognize an ONS member who makes outstanding contributions to the field of oncology nursing and to ONS, someone who has been an important leader within the Society and his or her community.

Recognizes an ONS member who has made significant contributions to the oncology nursing community through their professional presence on social media platforms.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (2008) defined palliative care as “patient and family-centered care that optimizes quality of life by anticipating, preventing, minimizing, and treating suffering. Palliative care throughout the continuum of illness involves addressing physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual needs and to facilitate patient autonomy, access to information, and choice” (p. 32204).

Joint Position Statement From the Oncology Nursing Society and the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association Ensuring Healthcare Worker Safety When Handling Hazardous Drugs

Pain is a common symptom experienced by patients with cancer, from diagnosis through survivorship, and is characterized as being acute, chronic, breakthrough, and refractory/intractable. Whether as a result of disease or disease-related treatment, pain causes significant physical and psychosocial burdens. A uniquely personal experience, pain markedly affects the quality of an individual’s life, increases vulnerability in an already vulnerable population, and engenders dependence on healthcare providers for access to adequate pain management (National Comprehensive Cancer Network, 2019; Paice et al., 2016). As members of interprofessional teams involved in practice, education, administration, and research, oncology nurses are in a pivotal position to improve cancer pain management.

Tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke are known human carcinogens and have contributed to a global epidemic and public health emergency. Tobacco continues to be a leading cause of preventable death and illness in the world. At least one dozen different types of cancers are causally related to tobacco use, in addition to other chronic and acute illnesses. Six million tobacco-related deaths occur every year. If trends continue, by 2030 more than 8 million people will die annually because of tobacco use; 80% in developing countries.

Smokers who use combustible tobacco products, such as cigarettes, cigars, and pipes, have been turning to electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) or electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) as an alternative to combustible tobacco products and as a smoking cessation tool. Use of e-cigarettes has been referred to as vaping, with numerous terms for these devices, such as vaporizers, vape pens, hookah pens, e-cigs, or e-pipes.

Quality cancer care requires safety, efficacy, timeliness, and a patient-centered approach coordinated by an interprofessional team with the integration of evidence-based practices to continuously improve care (Institute of Medicine, 2013). Without essential services targeted at reducing cancer risk, morbidity, and mortality, patients may suffer from an increased incidence of cancer, decreased quality of life, or less-than-optimal outcomes. Lack of insurance or inadequate healthcare coverage adversely affects health and cancer care on multiple levels. Uninsured individuals are less likely to receive preventive care or obtain screening, more likely to receive inadequate or delayed treatment, and more likely to die prematurely than those with adequate health insurance coverage.