Episode 327: Journey of a Student Nurse: Choosing Oncology Nursing and the Value of a Professional Home
Release Date: 08/30/2024
Episode 380: Colorectal Cancer Survivorship Considerations for Nurses
The ONS Podcast
“One powerful, overlooked aspect of colorectal cancer survivorship is the emotional and identity transformation that our survivors undergo—and really how little space is given in the clinical arena for that. No one really talks about this ‘invisible recovery.’ Facing mortality can lead to prolonged changes is values, relationships, and life goals. And these experiences aren’t captured in lab results or imaging scans, but they really shape how survivors live, love, and heal and continue with their lives,” ONS member Kris Mathey, DNP, APRN-CNP, AOCNP®, gastrointestinal...
info_outline
Episode 379: Pharmacology 101: BCR-ABL1 Inhibitors
The ONS Podcast
“All of these TKIs [tyrosine kinase inhibitors] inhibit BCR-ABL1 in some way, shape, or form. When BCR-ABL1 is mutated, it has uncontrolled tyrosine kinase activity, leading to rapid cell proliferation. When we then inhibit that BCR-ABL1 that’s been mutated, we disrupt this abnormal signaling pathway that drives CML [chronic myeloid leukemia] cell proliferation and survival, ultimately leading to decreased cancer cell growth, increased apoptosis or cell death, and potentially inducing a disease remission,” Samantha Maples, PharmD, BCOP, clinical pharmacy specialist supervisor for...
info_outline
Episode 378: Considerations for Adolescent and Young Adult Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer
The ONS Podcast
“She’s triple negative and has a very, very aggressive tumor. Instead of going on spring break that year, she sat in our chemo room and got chemo. Her friends from college are good to try to keep her involved and try to surround her and encourage her, but they’re right now in very, very different spots in their lives. She’s fighting for her life; her friends are fighting for the grade they get in a class—and that’s different,” ONS member Kristi Orbaugh, MSN, NP, AOCN®, AOCNP®, nurse practitioner at Community Hospital North Cancer Center in Indianapolis, IN, told Jaime Weimer,...
info_outline
Episode 377: Creating and Implementing Radiopharmaceutical Policies and Procedures
The ONS Podcast
“Policies help make sure that we’re giving patients the right education and discharge instructions. Radiation doesn’t end when the syringe is empty. Patients go home with potential radioactive exposure. They need to know how to protect their families, what precautions to take, and what healthcare providers can do if something goes wrong—like a spill, extravasation, or even a pregnant staff member who’s involved in the care. This isn’t just a documentation exercise. It’s about making sure every part of the system speaks the same language when it comes to safety, handling, and...
info_outline
Episode 376: ONS 50th Anniversary: The Science Behind the History of Nursing Burnout and Compassion Fatigue
The ONS Podcast
“At least some of the answer to these issues of compassion fatigue and burnout have to do making our practice environments the very, very best they can be so that nurses and other clinicians can really connect and care for patients in the ways that they want to be able to do that—and the patients need them to be able to do. I think there’s a lot that is here already and will be coming, and I feel pretty optimistic about it,” ONS member Anne Gross, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, senior vice president for patient care services and chief nursing officer at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in...
info_outline
Episode 375: Pharmacology 101: VEGF Inhibitors
The ONS Podcast
“We’re really using these in many, many types of malignancies. But you can see this class of drug, these monoclonal antibodies, the small molecule inhibitors, being used in colorectal cancer, ovarian cancer, renal cell carcinoma, brain cancers, hepatocellular, non-small cell lung cancer, gynecologic malignancies, so lots of different types of cancers where we’re seeing these drugs used,” Danielle Roman, PharmD, BCOP, manager of clinical pharmacy services at the Allegheny Health Network Cancer Institute in Pittsburgh, PA, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS®, manager of...
info_outline
Episode 374: Colorectal Cancer Treatment Considerations for Nurses
The ONS Podcast
“Colorectal cancer treatment is not just about eliminating a disease. It’s about preserving life quality and empowering patients through every phase. So I think nurses are really at the forefront that we can do that in the oncology nursing space. So from early detection to survivorship, the journey is deeply personal. Precision medicine, compassionate care, and informed decision-making are reshaping outcomes. Treatment’s just not about protocols. It’s about people,” ONS member Kris Mathey, DNP, APRN-CNP, AOCNP®, gastrointestinal medical oncology nurse practitioner at The James...
info_outline
Episode 373: Biomarker Testing in Prostate Cancer
The ONS Podcast
“Next-generation sequencing, or NGS, can be used to help us determine if the patient has specific biomarkers we can identify and use to target for treatment. Certain findings can tell us if a particular treatment might work for that patient, and we can see if there are any genetic variants we might have a biomarker targeted agent to use to treat them with,” ONS member Jackie Peterson, MSN, RN, OCN®, NE-BC, MBA, ambulatory nurse manager at the University of Chicago Medical Center in Illinois, told Lenise Taylor, MN, RN, AOCNS®, BMTCN®, oncology clinical specialist at ONS, during a...
info_outline
Episode 372: Pharmacology 101: Proteasome Inhibitors
The ONS Podcast
“The proteasome itself, it really helps us unfold or get rid of misfolded proteins or degradations of different cells. We used to have garbage disposals in our sinks, and we used to put food product in there. If your garbage disposal is clogged, then everything backs up. So that’s kind of what’s really going on in the cell itself, is that I’m building up these unnecessary proteins that we should be getting rid of, and it actually causes apoptosis or cell death,” ONS member Daniel Verina, DNP, RN, ACNP-BC, nurse practitioner for the multiple myeloma program at Mount Sinai Medical...
info_outline
Episode 371: ONS 50th Anniversary: ONS’s Rich History of International Work Advances the Future of Global Oncology Nursing
The ONS Podcast
“We want to make sure that nurses, have opportunities both in our local communities as well as international communities, to engage in courageous dialog with others who may think or look different than we do and whose culture or language may also be different. The difference is what brings us together and allows us to have more of this tapestry of what we are about—ensuring that we advance health for all and that we are able to move forward together,” ONS member Ashley Leak-Bryant, PhD, RN, OCN®, professor at University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, told Darcy Burbage, DNP,...
info_outline“It’s not often in life that you find something that gives you this feeling, but I’m really so fortunate to have found mine, and I know this is only just the beginning, and I cannot wait to see what the future holds. I definitely owe a lot of that to the Oncology Nursing Society for opening up all those doors for me and really getting me into this field.” Samantha Paulen, BSN, RN, told Jessica MacIntyre, DNP, MBA, APRN, AOCNP®, 2024–2026 ONS president, during a conversation about student nurses entering the oncology field. MacIntyre spoke with Paulen and Tayler Covino, BSN, RN, both recent graduate nurses, about why they chose oncology nursing as a specialty.
Music Credit: “Fireflies and Stardust” by Kevin MacLeod
Licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0
Episode Notes
- NCPD contact hours are not available for this episode.
- Oncology Nursing Podcast™ episodes:
- ONS Voice articles:
- Nursing Students Connect Beyond the Classroom With ONS Resources
- One Oncology Lecture Isn’t Enough
- Nurse Residency Programs Improve New Graduate RNs’ Transition to Clinical Practice
- Train and Retain: From Orientation to Leadership, Here Are the Strategies That Experienced Staff Developers Use
- Innovative Programs Help Institution Grow Its Own Nursing Workforce
- Oncology Nurses Enhance Cancer Care Through Mentorship Opportunities
- Nursing Team Shares Process of Training a New Nurse in Oncology Outpatient Care
- ONS book: Cancer Basics (third edition)
- ONS courses:
- Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing articles:
- ONS Learning Library: Nurse Orientation
- ONS Undergrad/Pre-Licensure Core Competencies
- ONS Career Guide
- ONS Resources for Student Nurses
To discuss the information in this episode with other oncology nurses, visit the ONS Communities.
To find resources for creating an Oncology Nursing PodcastÔ Club in your chapter or nursing community, visit the ONS Podcast Library.
To provide feedback or otherwise reach ONS about the podcast, email [email protected].
Highlights From This Episode
“I was first drawn to oncology nursing freshman year of high school when my grandmother, who was my ultimate best friend, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and by the time they had caught it, it had metastasized to nearly every surrounding organ. And as I mentioned earlier, my grandmother was a nurse. So being a nurse, she was very stubborn, and when she finally had gone to the hospital after having a variety of symptoms, it was almost too late.” (Paulen) TS 7:27
“There’s really nothing more special to me than being able to develop relationships with my patients and support them throughout their journey. It’s incredibly rewarding making such a difference in their lives and being able to witness the strength and resilience of patients battling cancer, and it’s such an inspiration. Being able to provide my support both medically and empathetically is truly such an honor.” (Paulen) TS 10:04
“I also had a family member who was diagnosed with cancer. He was my uncle. And I witnessed firsthand the impact that compassionate and knowledgeable oncology nurses had on his treatment, and it really did leave such a lasting impact on me. … This experience deeply inspired me, and I just always wanted to be part of a team that offers hope and comfort to their patients and their families.” (Covino) TS 12:10
“I touched on my pediatric oncology clinical rotation, but I really do think it gave me insights into caring for younger cancer patients. This experience really emphasized the importance of a holistic approach to nursing, considering not just medical but also the emotional and developmental needs of children who are battling cancer.” (Covino) TS 24:05
“I also joined ONS as a student, so it was a large part of my college education and really gave me great access to resources, being able to attend meetings, and just stay updated on the latest in oncology nursing with the articles that they send out and just provided me with great networking opportunities with so many experienced oncology nurses who have such a wide breadth of knowledge.” (Covino) TS 24:27
“Practicing mindfulness and meditation has also been incredibly helpful in staying grounded and managing the emotional stress. These practices help me stay present. They reduce anxiety and maintain a positive outlook, even in these challenging environments. It’s really important to just set emotional boundaries as well to avoid burnout.” (Covino) TS 33:05
“There’s such a fulfillment that you get for making a significant impact on patients’ lives, and that’s what inspires me and should inspire others to consider this specialty. There’s also a lot of growth opportunities, and I think it’s really important to emphasize the growth opportunities within the field. And also just the advancements in cancer treatment can attract new nurses because there really is so much advancement in the field of cancer treatment.” (Paulen) TS 42:59
“I feel that specifically in this specialty, oncology nurses in particular are so much more willing to help versus they say that sometimes some nurses may eat their prey or whatever they might say. But I really think that oncology nurses are so willing to help, but sometimes you just have to really expose yourself and open up that door.” (Paulen) TS 45:07