Celebrating ONS's 40th anniversary and its commitment 
to cultural competency, diversity, and inclusiveness.

Today, we all have been taught that cultural competence is a valuable tool in providing patient-centered care. However, this concept was not considered a standard of oncology nursing practice when the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) began. It was not regarded as a critical component of patient safety, satisfaction, or quality care. In fact, in the 1970s, the importance of providing culturally competent care was virtually nonexistent in our nation's government policies, regulatory standards, academic curriculum, or professional practice. 
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