You Can Choose Your Own Adventure When You Tailor ONS Congress® to Meet Your Learning Needs
No matter your specialty, you’ll find content to suit your personal and professional goals as an oncology nurse at ONS Congress. Get ideas to customize your experience from the 2023 Planning Team members, led by Marci Andrejko, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, nurse practitioner in the blood and marrow transplant service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, NY, as they share how they would navigate their learning track but also step outside their specialty and discover supplemental sessions in other topics.
Clinical Practice
Colleen McCracken, MSN, RN, CMSRN, CHPN, OCN®
System Educator–RN
Froedtert Hospital
Milwaukee, WI
Holly Tenaglia, DNP, APRN, AGCNS-BC, OCN®
Clinical Nurse Specialist
VA San Diego Healthcare System
San Diego, CA
Designed for nurses at the chairside and bedside, the Clinical Practice track's many exciting sessions will help you enhance your learning and practice. Attend the UnLEASHing the Power of Pet Therapy: How to Integrate Pet Therapy Into Your Cancer Center session to learn how to integrate the benefits of animal-assisted therapy into your cancer center for patients, families, and clinicians alike. Another must-see session is Infusion-Related Reaction Management in Cancer Treatment, where speakers will discuss reactions in depth and explore strategies to manage them in clinical practice.
But other ONS Congress tracks also have sessions for nurses in direct clinical practice, so step outside of your comfort zone! Attend the Leadership/Management/Education track's Empowering Bedside Oncology Nurses as Leaders session, which will energize and inspire you to develop your skills as a leader in oncology. Or join the Radiation track to hear from the experts in the Hot Topics in Radiation Oncology session, where you’ll learn about the latest innovative techniques to bring back to your practice.
We assure you there is something for everyone at this year’s conference.
Advanced Practice
Caitlin Murphy, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, AOCNP®
Nurse Practitioner
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Boston, MA
Lisa Parks, MS, APRN-CNP, ANP-BC
Nurse Practitioner, Hepatobiliary Surgery
James Cancer Hospital at The Ohio State University
Columbus, OH
This year’s ONS Congress offer advanced practice RNs (APRNs) exciting new learning opportunities in the Advanced Practice track. Ambulatory APRNs can walk through case studies during the Differential Diagnosis in the Oncology Urgent Care Setting: Pulmonary-Oncology and Neuro-Oncology session, whereas inpatient APRNs can learn about radiology interpretation through the Diagnostic Radiology: A Symptomatic Approach session and use of biomarkers through the Using Biomarkers to Develop a Personalized Oncology Treatment Plan session. Cardio-oncology is a developing specialty involved in both ambulatory and inpatient settings, and ONS Congress brings you the latest information through the Cardio-Oncology: An Emerging Discipline session.
But expanding to other learning tracks allows APRNs to grow professionally. Attend the Clinical Practice track’s When Pain Holds a Grudge, Give It a Nudge! Best Practices for Managing Chronic Cancer-Related Pain session for updates in chronic cancer pain management. Join the Radiation track for education about radiation therapy and its side effects. Get advice on publishing a manuscript during the Research track’s Publishing 101: The Road to Manuscript Acceptance, and the Pharmacology Update detailing new oncology drugs approved in 2022.
ONS Congress offers something for every level of oncology nurse, from student to researcher. Come network with colleagues and grow professionally.
Leadership/Management/Education
Roselyn Ogunkunle, PhD, MSN, RN, NEA-BC, OCN®
Director of Education and Strategy
DaAron Health
League City, TX
Tahani Dweikat, EMHCA, BSN, RN, OCN®
Oncology Clinical Research Nurse
City of Hope
Duarte, CA
The Leadership/Management/Education track helps you develop a growth mindset, which is essential for personal and career success. Among the sessions, you’ll learn how to embrace change through Leading Change in Today’s Workforce: The Path to High-Quality Cancer Care, understand the diverse workforce, identify retention factors, educate new and seasoned nurses (Developing New Oncology Nurse Leaders), and addresses Safety and Violence in Healthcare.
Leaders, managers, and educators can also find a wide range of topics to quench their quest for new information and knowledge in the Clinical Practice, Advanced Practice, Radiation, and Research tracks. We will not miss the Power session, Dimensions of Caregiving: Emotional, Physical, and Financial Considerations of a Cancer Diagnosis session or the Ambulatory Practice Pearls Roundtable Networking Session.
Radiation
Bridgett Harr, DNP, APRN-CNP, AOCNP®
Nurse Practitioner
Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute, Main Campus
Cleveland, OH
Kathleen MacDonald, BSN, RN, OCN®
Primary Nurse/Charge Nurse, Radiation Oncology
University of Pennsylvania Hospital, Perelman Center
Philadelphia, PA
Although the Radiation track provides radiation-specific, high-level knowledge on radiation hot topics for oncology nurses working daily in the radiation subspecialty to take back to their practice, many sessions also offer general radiation knowledge for oncology nurses who don’t work primarily in radiation as well. This year’s Radiation track guides you in treating rarer cancers through the Radiation Treatment Options for Uncommon Cancers session, two complex case reviews with an APRN/RN team from different practice locations offering insight on the differences and challenges in practice, and a session on symptom management from a palliative medicine advanced practice provider.
The Managing Radiation Acute and Late Toxicities in Gynecology: A Review of Two Complex Cases session challenges you to step outside of your practice location (rural or urban) and routine by showing how others manage similar patients. Speakers will compare real patients who were treated at their practice and discuss strengths and weaknesses that contributed to the patients’ treatments.
Outside of the Radiation track, we are looking forward to Anne Katz’s Power session to hear her speak on Sexual Functioning Across the Life Span: A Journey Together Along the Cancer Care Continuum. She is an amazing speaker with so much knowledge to provide on a topic many of our patients want to ask about but often are embarrassed to. We’re also looking forward to the Advanced Practice session, Diagnostic Radiology: A Symptomatic Approach, as we can never get enough imaging review!
Research
Kristen Fessele, PhD, RN, ANP-BC, AOCN®
Nurse Scientist
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
New York, NY
Timiya Nolan, PhD, APRN-CNP, ANP-BC
Assistant Professor and Nurse Scientist
The Ohio State University
Columbus, OH
Join the Research track to gain new insights on foundational and evolving concepts through innovative methodologies that support nurse scientists with all levels of experience to grow their research programs. Research track sessions approach priority areas identified by federal and nonprofit agencies, including perspectives on incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion from bench to community-based research as well as expanding on applying research to advocacy. Early-career researchers can hone their writing skills, explore research with participant populations across the cancer continuum, and network with senior scientists during our research critiques and Research Roundtable sessions.
We are really excited about the Wednesday Intensive session, Moving From Descriptive Studies to Intervention Trials, where senior scientists Kathi Mooney, PhD, RN, FAAN, and Terri Armstrong, PhD, ANP-BC, FAAN, FAANP, will discuss challenges and opportunities to generate more nurse-led interventions. Anecita Fadol, PhD, FNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN, and Sherry-Ann Brown, MD, PhD, FACC, FAHA, will present on Cardio-Oncology: The State of the Science on Saturday, giving a key update on this critical area of potential complications during cancer treatment. Don't miss Friday's Rapid-Fire Research Presentations to hear early-career scientists' podium presentations and accompanying brief critiques from senior scientists.
But look beyond the bench to the whole slate of ONS Congress sessions! On Wednesday, step inside the world of caregiving with the Power session, The Dimensions of Caregiving: Emotional, Physical, and Financial Considerations of a Cancer Diagnosis. Thursday's Leadership/Management/Education session, The Future of Nursing 2022 and Beyond, highlights nurses’ key roles in clinical practice, policy, and improvements in population health. And don’t miss the Power session, ONS/AACR Bench to Bedside Lecture, on Saturday on how the gut microbiome affects the cancer experience.
ONS Congress is about attending the sessions that interest you and support your everyday practice and professional development. Learn more about ONS Congress education, view the full schedule, and register by March 9 to save with early-bird pricing. We hope to see you in San Antonio!