The focus of this new column will be to showcase innovative work that has advanced quality in areas of practice and care delivery that are of interest to the practicing oncology nurse. Examples include, but are not limited to, practice environment innovation, patient outcomes and experiences of care, team effectiveness, and unit-based or institutionwide system changes.

Getting From Red to Green: A Story of Change Susan Radcliffe, BSN, MN, MHR, OCN; Sharon Wengier, MS, APRN, CNS, RNC-OB; Deborah Parris, MS, APRN, PCNS-BC; Mandy Nelson, APRN-CNS, MS, ACNS-BC, CCRN Background: The turnover rate (employee separations) of healthcare workers has created a cycle of exhaustion and discontent. High turnover affects the institution’s ability to consistently provide hig...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and practices of oral health (OH) in hospitalized children with cancer. The sample was composed by the nurse team, caretakers and children. It was applied a questionnaire concerning the general knowledge about OH, methods and instruments used for oral hygiene (OH). According to the results, the responsible of OH of children are the caretakers ...

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To describe oncology nurses' experiences with patients communicating interest in or use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies along with oncology nurses' CAM resources and educational interests. DESIGN National mailed survey. SETTING A national medical center and research institute. SAMPLE A random sample of 850 Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) members...

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To conduct a role delineation study of basic oncology nursing practice as a basis for revision of the blueprint for the Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN) examination. DESIGN Three-phase study of oncology nurses' practice. SAMPLE 735 oncology nurses randomly chosen from all nurses who are OCN certified. METHODS A pilot survey was mailed to a small group to allow refinement ...

The current study described RN and patient care technician (PCT) communication in centralized and hybrid decentralized workstation designs using hands-free communication technology and infrared locator badge technology to facilitate communication. New construction of an oncology unit provided the opportunity to compare staff communication in two different workstation designs. Observations and q...

BACKGROUND Patients with cancer experience stress surrounding diagnosis and treatment. Many cancer centers employ a nurse-led education session to alleviate patient anxiety and confusion.
. OBJECTIVES The goal was to evaluate the effect of a nurse-led chemotherapy teaching session on patients' knowledge, anxiety, and preparedness for 
cancer-directed therapy.
. METHODS After discussing trea...

Euthanasia is not a new concept. However, there is a growing trend to legalize voluntary active euthanasia. The purpose of this study was to explore oncology nurses' attitudes toward voluntary active euthanasia. The population consisted of 200 registered nurses who were members of the Oncology Nurses' Society and who resided in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Missouri. I developed a questionnaire ...

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To review literature about oncology and nononcology nurses' attitudes toward spiritual care and the way that their spiritual well-being influences those attitudes. DATA SOURCES Published research and literature review articles, books, master's theses, and doctoral dissertations. DATA SYNTHESIS Spiritual considerations play an important part in the lives of patients with c...

Treatment for colorectal cancer (CRC) has seen major advances, resulting in longer survival times for many patients. New data about improvements can appear daily in the form of updated journal articles, news reports, and study results reported at national and international oncology meetings. Practicing oncology nurses have a responsibility to keep current on treatments and symptom-management st...