ONS 35th Congress Opening Gets Wild

The Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) 35th Annual Congress kicked off with a lively parade, which included over 100 nurses representing 16 countries from all over the globe, including Australia, Japan, and Latvia, who marched into the exhibit hall to the tune of “Jungle Boogie.” Thereafter, the 2010 Congress planning team was acknowledged by Sue Childress, RN, MN, OCN, congress chair, and Brenda Nevidjon, RN, MSN, FAAN, ONS president, discussed how some ONS chapters are making a difference internationally by reaching out to nurses practicing in impoverished countries. She noted that the Greater Los Angeles Chapter was working with Bolivian nurses and that the Metro Minneapolis Chapter had sponsored membership for nurses in Kenya. These nurses now benefit from International Tiered membership, which allows them electronic access to all ONS resources. It is anticipated that this form of membership will continue to grow.

Margaret Hansen Frogge, RN, MS, president, Oncology Nursing Society Foundation, also spoke and encouraged attendees to text a donation of $10 to ONS. She noted if all nurses in attendance participated, they would raise over 30K in less than a minute. Many nurses pulled out their cell phones and participated in this fund-raising effort.

As a part of the opening ceremony, numerous awards were presented. The awards and their recipients were as follows:

Distinguished Researcher Award

Kathleen Mooney, RN, PhD, FAAN, for her work on improving unrelieved symptoms in patients with cancer. Her unique research focuses on developing a mechanism to improve communication about unrelieved symptoms and uses innovative technology to provide added support and surveillance that efficiently keeps the oncology team informed. Dr Mooney's ultimate goal is to develop the program for translation and adoption in everyday ambulatory clinical practice.

Distinguished Service Award

Cynthia Cantril, RN, OCN, MPH, for her contributions in assisting ONS to fulfill its mission at the national and local levels in the study, research, and exchange of information, experiences, and ideas, helping to improve oncology nursing practices. She is a co-founder of ONS and served as vice president of ONS’s first board of directors. The award reflects on her role as a dedicated nurse navigator for her patients.

Pearl Moore “Making a Difference” Award

Darcy Burbage, RN, MSN, AOCN, CBCN, for her significant contributions to the oncology nursing profession at the local and regional levels. She received recognition at the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center at Christiana Care Health System in Newark, Delaware, for her many performance improvement projects that have impacted the quality of care of patients with breast cancer treated at the institution's Breast Center.

ONS 2010 Lifetime Achievement Award

Connie Henke Yarbro, RN, MS, FAAN, for her contributions as an oncology nurse researcher, mentor, and educator, as well as her service to ONS and the oncology community. She helped found ONS in 1975 and has served in various leadership roles within the organization since then, including as president and treasurer.

International Award for Contributions in Cancer Care

Sultan Kav, PhD, RN, who has made a profound difference in cancer care in Turkey and the Middle East. The award recognizes her work to improve patient teaching throughout the world by educating nurses who can then better educate their patients. She is the president of the European Oncology Nursing Society and a member of the Turkish Oncology Nursing Society, the International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care, and the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer.

Rose Mary Carroll-Johnson Award for Consistent Contribution to the Nursing Literature Award

Rita Wickham, PhD, RN, AOCN, for the impact she has made on the oncology nursing profession in sharing research findings, describing content basic to the care of patients with cancer, and supporting the professional development of colleagues. Her written works have focused primarily on addressing supportive and palliative care topics.

Honorary Membership Award

Lois-Trench-Hines, president, CEO, and co-founder of Meniscus Limited, for her contributions to oncology nursing and her support of ONS at the national level. She is a pioneer in applying oncology research to healthcare practice and is a long-time champion of oncology nurses.

Ellyn Bushkin Award

Laura J. Hilderley, RN, MS, for demonstrating unwavering commitment to service, charity, and leadership.