September 2007, Volume 34, Number 5
People & Events
Diane M. Otte, RN, MS, OCN® - Associate Editor
Oncology
Nursing Society Collects Gold and Bronze Awards for Publishing Excellence
The
Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) was honored by the Society of National
Association Publications as a winner of esteemed EXCEL Awards in three
categories at its recent 27th EXCEL Awards Gala in
• Gold Award,
Scholarly Journals, Feature Article category: “Understanding the Moral Distress
of Nurses Witnessing Medically Futile Care,” by Betty Ferrell, PhD, RN, FAAN,
published in the Oncology Nursing Forum (ONF)
• Bronze Award,
Scholarly Journals, Feature Article category: “Look-Alike, Sound-Alike Oncology
Medications,” by Lisa Schulmeister, RN, MS, FAAN, published in the Clinical
Journal of Oncology Nursing
• Bronze Award,
Scholarly Journals, Most Improved category, Clinical Journal of Oncology
Nursing.
“We are
very proud to have our authors and our editorial staff recognized with these
prestigious awards,” said Rose Mary Carroll-Johnson, MN, RN, ONF editor.
“ONS is dedicated to publishing resources that promote excellence in oncology
nursing, and we are honored to have our publications recognized by the
association industry.”
The ONS
publishing division produces resources designed to assist nurses and other
healthcare professionals to develop a foundation of knowledge about cancer
care. Publications include ONF, the Clinical Journal of Oncology
Nursing, and ONS Connect, as well as award-winning books,
monographs, guidelines, standards, and other resources for the cancer care
community. ONS currently carries about 50 active titles and publishes six to
eight new books a year.
ONS
Member Featured in Fall Issue of Caring 4 Cancer Magazine
Caring
4 Cancer magazine
is highlighting ONS member Sherry A. Looker, RN, BSN, OCN®, on its
fall 2007 cover. In addition, Looker is the subject of a full-length article
discussing the impact of nurses on patients and offering insight to patients
seeking to improve their care. Looker, a nurse supervisor in an outpatient
treatment unit at the
Looker
said, “To be recognized by Caring 4 Cancer as an oncology nurse is a
wonderful honor. In the schema of working with patients with cancer, a nurse
might feel like she may not make an impact. But in all reality, everything that
we do on a daily basis, in our lives and in working with our patients, makes a
difference. Working with the Caring 4 Cancer editorial and journal team
was an incredible experience.”
Caring
4 Cancer magazine
provides information and support to patients with cancer through online and
print venues. The magazine is free to patients through their physicians’
offices. Healthcare professionals can order free copies by visiting www.caring4cancer.com.
ONS
Member Named Cameos of Caring Winner
ONS
member Ruth Zalonis, RN, wears her white nursing cap with pride. She realizes
that she is one of the few nurses today who still don the traditional cap that
years ago was a required part of the nursing uniform and a respected symbol of
the nursing profession. “When I first became a nurse in 1975 . . . the capping
ceremony was a big part of becoming a nurse,” said Zalonis, who works in the
oncology unit at
Zalonis
was selected by her peers to represent Jefferson Regional at the ninth annual
2007 Cameos of Caring celebration sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh
School of Nursing. The award honors outstanding nurses dedicated to
high-quality patient care.
Zalonis
has worked at
Vince
Bryner, patient care manager, nominated Zalonis for the prestigious award that
pays tribute to one nurse each year at almost 50 area hospitals and medical
centers. “Ruth takes on new challenges on a daily basis, whether it is serving
as a charge nurse, preceptor, mentor, or educator. The passion she has for
nursing and the kindness and compassion Ruth exhibits when dealing with
patients, families, coworkers, and other healthcare professionals should be the
standard all nurses strive to achieve.”
Louise
Urban, vice president of patient care services, said, “We are very excited that
Ruth will be representing
In
2007, 42 hospitals and healthcare facilities and 10 schools of nursing,
spanning a nine-county area and one international facility, participated in the
Cameos of Caring.
ONF’s 2006 Impact Factor Announced
Impact
factor, a quantitative tool of Thomson Scientific for ranking, evaluating,
categorizing, and comparing journals, measures the frequency that a journal
article has been cited in a particular year or period. In 2006, ONF had
the fifth-highest impact factor of the 32 journals in the nursing category.
Only Birth Issues in Perinatal Care, Nursing Economics, American Journal of
Critical Care, and Nursing Research had higher impact factors.
Rose
Mary Carroll-Johnson, MN, RN, ONF editor, said, “Being assigned an
impact factor is the culmination of a great deal of work on the part of the ONS
Periodicals Publishing Team and a three-year wait after being added to the
Thomson Scientific list. Ultimately, however, it reflects the outstanding work
of our authors and the esteem in which the work published by the journal is
held.”
For
more information on impact factors, visit Thomson Scientific’s Web site at http://scientific.thomson.com.
ONS
Member Wins Arceneaux Award
Laurie
McInnes Hughes, MSN, RN, FNP, an advanced practice nurse in the Department of
Surgical Oncology at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center,
received the 2007 Ethel Fleming Arceneaux Outstanding Nurse-Oncologist Award,
made possible by the Brown Foundation, Inc., at a ceremony June 19.
“I am
honored to have been selected for this award and to be a part of the M.D.
Anderson team,” says Hughes. “My colleagues are outstanding and share a
compassion for our patients. That’s why I’m here. I love what I do.”
Hughes
is clinical nurse practitioner to breast cancer surgeon and professor S. Eva
Singletary, MD. “Laurie is known for going above and beyond the call of duty to
provide the finest in patient care,” said Singletary.
“I’m
[patients’] first call from M.D. Anderson,” said Hughes. “Part of my role is to
walk them through and explain that a breast cancer diagnosis is not a death
sentence. I encourage them to ask questions, to be in charge. I empower them so
that they are informed about their diagnoses and surgical options even before
they see Dr. Singletary.”
Since
1982, the Brown Foundation, Inc., has recognized nurses at M.D. Anderson who
excel in the field of oncology. To learn more, visit www.brownfoundation.org.
ONS
member Andrea Barsevick, RN, DNSc, AOCN®, has been promoted from
associate member to member with tenure in the Division of Population Science at
“As one
of an elite cadre of nurse scientists, I believe that Dr. Barsevick brings to
Fox Chase a cutting-edge research program and a role model for future nursing
research,” said Mary B. Daly, MD, PhD, senior vice president for population
science.
Barsevick
recently received the Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Nurses Alumni Association
Distinguished Alumni Award, which is awarded to an alumnus who has brought
distinction to the college through broadly recognized professional
accomplishments.
ONS
Members Assume Leadership Roles at the National Cancer Institute
In
2004, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) established the Clinical Trials
Working Group (CTWG) to define the vision and plan for restructuring cancer
clinical trials. In June 2005, a report of CTWG recommendations was published
(http://integratedtrials.nci.nih
.gov/ict/CTWG_report_June2005.pdf), and implementation soon began. Four main
initiatives were stressed: to improve coordination and cooperation among the
functionally diverse components of the current system, to improve
prioritization and scientific quality by developing a transparent process for protocol
design and review, to improve the standardization of the tools and procedures
for clinical trials conduct and management, and to improve operational
efficiency of the conduct of clinical trials.
The
CTWG also recommended the establishment of an external clinical trials
oversight committee to advise the NCI director. To that end, the Clinical
Trials Advisory Committee (CTAC) was formed. Chaired by the NCI director, CTAC
provides extramural oversight for the implementation of the CTWG recommendations
and initiatives. ONS nominated member Deborah Watkins Bruner, RN, PhD,
independence professor of nursing at the
To
enhance collaboration among those involved in the design of cancer clinical
trials and to improve prioritization and scientific quality, the Symptom
Management and Quality-of-Life (QOL) Steering Committee was formed. The role of
the steering committee is to develop and prioritize symptom management
intervention clinical trials, develop and review studies with secondary QOL end
points in cooperative group treatment studies, and develop criteria for review
of QOL studies that are eligible for funding. The steering committee has
assisted in convening state-of-the-science meetings to identify critical
questions and unmet needs and to help prioritize key strategies and future
concepts to test.
Bruner
and Michael Fisch, MD, MPH, a medical oncologist at
Joint
Commission Announces 2008 National Patient Safety Goals
The
Joint Commission announced the 2008 National Patient Safety Goals and
requirements that will apply to accredited hospitals and critical access
hospitals.
Major
changes in the sixth annual issuance of national patient safety goals include a
new requirement to take specific actions to reduce the risks of patient harm
associated with the use of anticoagulant therapy and a new goal and requirement
that address the recognition of and response to unexpected deterioration in a
patient’s condition. The changes were approved by the Joint Commission’s board
of commissioners.
The new
anticoagulant therapy requirement addresses a widely acknowledged patient
safety problem and becomes a key element of the goal: Improve the safety of
using medications. It applies to hospitals, critical access hospitals,
ambulatory care and office-based surgery settings, and home-care and long-term
care organizations. The new goal and requirement respecting the deteriorating
patient will ask hospitals and critical access hospitals to select a suitable
method for enabling caregivers to directly request and obtain assistance from a
specially trained individual if and when a patient’s condition worsens. Each of
the foregoing new requirements has a one-year phase-in period that includes
defined milestones. Full implementation is targeted for January 2009. In
addition, the requirement related to hand hygiene has been expanded to permit
use of the World Health Organization hand hygiene guidelines as an alternative
to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. The requirement
to limit and standardize drug concentrations that is part of the goal to
improve the safety of using medications will be retired, but organization
compliance will continue to be evaluated as part of medication management
standards compliance.
“The
2008 National Patient Safety Goals seek to focus the efforts of healthcare
organizations on the priority areas where opportunities for improving patient
safety are greatest,” said Dennis S. O’Leary, MD, president of the Joint
Commission. “Consistently putting these requirements into action will benefit
millions of patients.”
The
development and annual updating of the national patient safety goals and
requirements continue to be overseen by an expert panel that includes widely
recognized patient safety experts, as well as nurses, physicians, pharmacists,
risk managers, and other professionals who have hands-on experience in
addressing patient safety issues in hospitals and other healthcare settings.
Each year, the Sentinel Event Advisory Group works with the Joint Commission to
undertake a systematic review of the literature and available databases to
identify candidate new goals and requirements. Following a solicitation of
input from practitioners, provider organizations, purchasers, consumer groups,
and other parties of interest, the advisory group determines the highest
priority goals and requirements and makes its recommendations to the Joint
Commission.
The
full text of the 2008 goals and requirements for all accreditation programs is
posted on the Joint Commission Web site (www.jointcommission.org). Compliance
with the requirements is a condition of continuing accreditation or
certification for Joint Commission–accredited or certified organizations.
American
Cancer Society Names New Chief Medical Officer
The
American Cancer Society announced the retirement of Chief Medical Officer
Harmon J. Eyre, MD, and named Otis Webb Brawley, MD, as his successor. Brawley,
a practicing oncologist, most recently served as professor of hematology and
oncology and epidemiology at
Brawley
has received numerous awards throughout his career, including the U.S. Public
Health Service Crisis Response Service Award, the U.S. Public Health Service
Distinguished Service Commendation, and the key to St. Bernard Parish for his
work in
“I am
both humbled and extremely honored to have this remarkable opportunity to
follow in the footsteps of a great leader,” said Brawley. “Dr. Eyre’s tenure
was extraordinarily effective, and I am committed to continuing those
successful efforts to ensure the American Cancer Society remains a leader in
cancer science.”
“It’s a
real coup to have secured the commitment of Otis Brawley to join the American
Cancer Society as our new chief medical officer,” said John R. Seffrin, PhD,
chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society. “Dr. Brawley’s
extensive experience in health disparities will help us as we work to eliminate
disparities in access to quality cancer care and as we continue to make global
progress against this disease.”
The
American Cancer Society is dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health
problem by saving lives, diminishing suffering, and preventing cancer through
research, education, advocacy, and service. For more information, call toll
free 800-ACS-2345 or visit www.cancer.org.
Mark
R. Chassin Announced as New President of the Joint Commission
The
Board of Commissioners of the Joint Commission announced the appointment of
Mark R. Chassin, MD, MPP, MPH, as its next president effective January 1, 2008.
Chassin
is the Edmond A. Guggenheim professor of health policy and chairman of the
Department of Health Policy at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in
“Mark
Chassin is a leading force in patient safety and quality as demonstrated in his
long, distinguished career in the public and private sector,” says David L.
Nahrwold, MD, chairman of the Joint Commission Board of Commissioners. “The
board of the Joint Commission has the utmost confidence in his ability to lead
the Joint Commission with intelligence and vision as the organization continues
its mission to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to
the public.”
“I am
very excited about the opportunity to lead the Joint Commission because of my
lifelong passion for quality improvement and patient safety,” said Chassin.
“The Joint Commission is transforming health care through its accreditation
process and other programs to help healthcare organizations provide safe,
high-quality care for all Americans.”
Founded
in 1951, the Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve the safety and
quality of care provided to the public through the provision of healthcare
accreditation and related services that support performance improvement in
healthcare organizations. Learn more about the Joint Commission at www.jointcommission.org.
Lifetime’s
13th Annual “Stop Breast Cancer for Life” Campaign Unveiled
Mary Ellen
Mark (American Photo’s most influential female photographer in America);
Linda Kaplan Thaler’s agency, the Kaplan Thaler Group; and Cancer Vixen author
Marisa Acocella Marchetto are lending their creativity to Lifetime’s 13th
annual award-winning “Stop Breast Cancer for Life” campaign.
Production
on the new public service campaign titled “Be My Support, Be My Strength, Be My
Bra” launched with Whoopi Goldberg, Fran Drescher, Daisy Fuentes, and breast
cancer survivors and advocates taking part in a video and photography shoot
that will be developed into groundbreaking spots to air on Lifetime in October
during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. As breast cancer survivors,
Mark, Thaler, and Marchetto appear in the series.
The new
“Be My Bra” creative campaign is a playful but forceful call to action to
promote breast health and breast cancer awareness based on the slang term for
friend, “bra.” An array of women and men impacted by breast cancer are all
posing with their “bras,” the person or people who, for example, urged them to
use breast cancer detection tools, attended doctor appointments with them, or
gave hope through treatment. The concept is intended to encourage more women
and men to become part of a support system. The campaign will be infused into
all multimedia platforms of the network’s 2007 “Stop Breast Cancer for Life”
initiative from printed educational materials to a new specially themed
Lifetime original movie.
“Lifetime
is thrilled to soon unveil a campaign conceptualized and executed by three
legendary creative geniuses and breast cancer survivors,” said Meredith Wagner,
executive vice president of public affairs at Lifetime Television. “We salute
[Mark, Thaler, and Marchetto] and all of the bras who give support to survivors
every single day.”
Lifetime
is the leader in women’s television and is committed to offering the
highest-quality entertainment and information programming, and advocating a
wide range of issues affecting women and their families.
Digital
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