BACKGROUND:Despite the nursing profession's position of influence, policy advocacy competency remains underdeveloped across nursing education and practice. Many nurses report limited knowledge, confidence, and preparation to engage effectively in legislative and political processes. A structured developmental framework for political advocacy competence is needed. OBJECTIVES:This article applies Benner's novice to expert model to the development of nursing political advocacy competence and provides practical, stage-specific guidance for nurses seeking to advance their advocacy engagement. METHODS:This topical article integrates findings from a focused review of English-language literature published within the past 10 years in CINAHL® and PubMed® with experiential insights from sustained legislative engagement within a professional nursing organization. Key themes related to barriers, competency development, and advocacy engagement were synthesized and mapped onto Benner's developmental stages to construct a practical advocacy progression model. FINDINGS:Benner's framework provides a structured road map for political advocacy development across five stages: novice, advanced beginner, competent, proficient, and expert. Each stage reflects increasing knowledge of legislative processes, strategic engagement, and professional identity integration. Intentional participation in professional organizations, committee involvement, mentorship, and repeated exposure to advocacy activities facilitate progression. By conceptualizing nursing political advocacy competence as a developmental process rather than an innate trait, nurses can systematically build the confidence and skills necessary to influence policies that shape oncology care, workforce conditions, and patient outcomes.
I want each of my nursing students, undergraduate to doctoral, to understand that advocacy is not a specialized branch of nursing practice for a few elite experts. It is a fundamental commitment to ethical care through influe.
BACKGROUND:Diagnoses of gynecologic and breast cancers in women may impose emotional and psychological burdens on their partners. Traditional notions of masculinity in Nigeria often discourage men from expressing vulnerability or seeking emotional support. This article explores the impact of a web-based peer support program on redefining masculinity among male partners of women diagnosed with these cancers. OBJECTIVES:The study assesses how digital peer support groups facilitate emotional expression, reduce isolation, and promote a redefined, supportive masculinity that embraces empathy, vulnerability, and active caregiving. METHODS:An eight-week web-based peer support intervention was implemented for partners of women with gynecologic and breast cancers. Researchers collected data via semistructured interviews with 21 male participants and analyzed the data using thematic analysis. FINDINGS:Participants reported significant shifts in perceptions of masculinity, embracing emotional vulnerability, improving communication with their spouses, navigating changes in intimacy, and adapting caregiving roles. The digital environment provided anonymity, reducing stigma and fostering open dialogue.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being integrated into health care, yet nursing adoption remains limited by low awareness, minimal training, and ethical concerns. A cross-sectional survey of 132 oncology nurses fr.
Cisplatin-induced ototoxicity (CIO) is a serious and underrecognized side effect of chemotherapy that, for various reasons, is often overlooked or omitted from focused care discussions between oncology providers and patients.
The following letter to the editor was received in response to "What's Old Is New Again, Unfortunately," the editorial in the April 2026 Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing. Selection of letters to be publishe.
BACKGROUND:Environmental services (EVS) workers in healthcare settings are at risk for exposure to hazardous drugs, including antineoplastic drugs, because of their role in cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting surfaces where patients have received these drugs. Personal protective equipment (PPE) is critical for minimizing exposure; because oncology nurses rely on EVS partners to maintain safe care environments, inconsistent PPE use has direct implications for team safety and oncology practice. OBJECTIVES:This study aimed to assess PPE use among EVS workers in oncology and non-oncology settings, identify gaps between self-reported and observed PPE use, and explore factors influencing use. METHODS:The team employed a mixed-methods approach, combining observational data with verbally administered questionnaire data. Twelve EVS workers from various units participated. Observations of PPE use and responses to adapted survey instruments provided insights into practices and perceptions. FINDINGS:Results revealed discrepancies between self-reported and observed PPE use, and participants frequently overestimated use. Participants commonly wore gloves, but they underused gloves tested for use with hazardous drugs, particularly in oncology settings. The team identified training gaps as barriers to consistent PPE use, and social desirability bias may explain the discrepancy between self-reported and observed PPE use.
BACKGROUND:The landscape of multiple myeloma (MM) treatment has been revolutionized by the emergence of quadruplet therapies and T-cell-redirecting immunotherapies. Although these advancements offer unprecedented responses and lengths of remission, they simultaneously create a profound state of immune compromise. Infection is a leading cause of death and a significant cause of morbidity in patients living with MM. OBJECTIVES:This article explores the complex landscape of infection in patients with MM, highlighting nurse responsibilities in early detection and management. Through targeted prevention and treatment strategies, nurses improve the longevity and the daily lived experiences of their patients. METHODS:This article is a narrative review of risk factors for infection and current practices for the prevention and management of infections in patients with MM, highlighting updated guidelines for nurses. FINDINGS:Risk factors for infection in MM include MM-related immune system dysfunction, disease-related factors such as renal failure, comorbid conditions, and treatment-related immunosuppression or cytopenias. By fostering competence through education, supporting autonomy through structured transitions of care, and maintaining relatedness through the patient-nurse relationship, oncology nurses can mitigate the infection risks associated with modern MM therapy.
BACKGROUND:Oncology nurses educate patients and caregivers about treatment. At one cancer center, treatment education was previously delivered via an in-person group class offered twice weekly to adults. This educational approach strained available resources, prompting the team to identify a new method for educating patients. OBJECTIVES:This quality improvement initiative aimed to implement a longer interval between patient education and first treatment to enhance patients' retention of educational content and maintain resource-neutral workflows. METHODS:Educational videos were developed and made available in the patient portal, via email, or for in-clinic viewing by the patient or caregiver. Scripting was developed for nurses to conduct teach-back during follow-up calls, which standardized content and teach-back delivery. The time from patient education to treatment initiation was compared for different educational methods. FINDINGS:This quality improvement project increased the length of time between patient education delivery and cancer treatment initiation. Patients and nurses reported satisfaction with the new process, and patients appreciated the opportunity to directly ask a nurse questions.
BACKGROUND:Palliative care (PC) is specialized health care that can improve quality of life for patients with cancer. However, PC tends to be underutilized or relegated to end-of-life care, limiting patients' ability to benefit from patient-centered, goal-concordant care. Patients with pancreatic cancer, who are often diagnosed at an advanced stage and with high symptom burdens, could benefit from PC. A chart review conducted in 2022 at a southern New Jersey academic medical center and cancer center found that among 77 patients diagnosed with cancer, only 26 were referred to palliative care services. Of those referred, just 6 received referrals for goal-concordant care discussions; the remaining 20 were referred primarily for cancer-related pain and symptom management or hospice care. OBJECTIVES:This pilot observational quality improvement study sought to increase PC referrals for patients with pancreatic cancer, and to determine whether the PC received was goal concordant. METHODS:Patients (N = 19) received referrals to PC and completed pre- and postvisit surveys. FINDINGS:All patients who completed the postvisit survey (N = 9) expressed satisfaction with care received from the PC team. However, there were significant delays from diagnosis to the PC visit. Nurses support oncology care and tend to be aware of patients' needs; including nurses in discussions about PC may be a mechanism to increase referrals for this patient population.
Chemotherapy-induced neutropenia is a frequent complication in patients with cancer that can lead to severe outcomes like sepsis, hospitalizations, and treatment delays. A neutropenic sepsis care bundle was implemented in an.
BACKGROUND:Uveal melanoma is a rare cancer that can metastasize to the liver. Percutaneous hepatic perfusion (PHP) is a minimally invasive technique that delivers melphalan directly to the liver to treat metastatic uveal melanoma. OBJECTIVES:This article presents nursing care and safety recommendations across all phases of the PHP procedure for patients with metastatic uveal melanoma. METHODS:A multidisciplinary team of subject matter expert nurses, along with a clinic-based physician assistant, reviewed current literature, clinical guidelines, and trial protocols. The team identified best practices for nursing care during clinic visits, preprocedure preparation, intraprocedure monitoring, hazardous drug safe handling, postprocedure care, critical care and recovery, and follow-up. FINDINGS:Collaborative nursing care across specialties is essential for the safe and effective delivery of melphalan via PHP. These recommendations provide guidance on patient assessment, monitoring, management of adverse events, and patient education. As PHP becomes more widely used nationally, nurses unfamiliar with this specialized procedure will benefit from structured, evidence-informed care protocols.
A speaker challenged me shortly after I completed my graduate nursing program to "imagine a world without cervical cancer." I was riveted. Could I be among the oncology nurses who get to witness eradication of a cancer, w.
At diagnosis and throughout treatment of acute myeloid leukemia, oral leukemic infiltrates from malignant blast cell invasion and mucosal ulcerations (i.e., mucositis as a side effect of antineoplastic therapy) are common. Ma.
This article explores the implementation and outcomes of nurse-performed bone marrow biopsies within a dedicated bone marrow biopsy unit. Initiated in 1995, the program evolved into a fully nurse-led model, demonstrating high.
Night shift oncology clinicians face operational, educational, and psychosocial barriers that may limit participation in traditional shared governance and contribute to inequities across shifts. This article describes the dev.
Scientific advances have expanded cellular therapy beyond its association with stem cell transplantation to include a growing array of products that use a patient's own cells and genetic material to treat disease. Currently.
BACKGROUND:Oncology nurses can recognize and respond to hemorrhagic emergencies across and beyond cellular therapy care in a timely and efficient manner to promote optimal patient outcomes. Massive transfusion protocol (MTP) is a systematic approach to resuscitating a patient experiencing uncontrolled hemorrhage using a ratio of blood components that mimics whole blood. OBJECTIVES:This article provides oncology nurses with a framework for implementing an MTP program to improve response time to hemorrhagic emergencies and reduce patient mortality. METHODS:The quality improvement advisory board at a tertiary cancer center approved the initiative to create an institutional MTP program as a clinical framework for clinicians to activate the MTP, delineate team roles and responsibilities, and rapidly transfuse blood components (red blood cells, plasma, and platelets) in a 1:1:1 ratio. Program success was evaluated through quality assurance reviews of each MTP event, with a focus on efficiency metrics and patient outcomes. FINDINGS:Implementation of an MTP program provided a mechanism for immediate availability of blood components in an optimal ratio. Systematic interprofessional MTP event simulations can prepare teams with the clinical skills needed to rapidly resuscitate patients experiencing uncontrolled hemorrhage.
BACKGROUND:Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) pose serious risks for patients undergoing stem cell transplantation and cellular therapy and remain a challenge for healthcare teams and facilities. OBJECTIVES:A quality improvement project was developed to assess the impact of antiseptic barrier caps (ABCs) on CLABSI reduction on a stem cell transplantation and cellular therapy unit. METHODS:During a six-month trial, ABCs were applied to the lumens and hubs of all venous access devices in patients with central venous catheters. ABCs were used as an additional layer of protection in conjunction with mechanical disinfection of lumens and hubs and the facility's CLABSI prevention bundle. CLABSI data were monitored monthly, and compliance with ABC use and mechanical disinfection was assessed through leader rounding. During leader rounding, a standardized form was employed, incorporating a visual audit component and a patient/family interview component. The interview assessed whether nurses consistently performed mechanical disinfection after removing the ABC and prior to accessing needleless connectors or IV tubing hubs. FINDINGS:There was a 68% reduction in CLABSI events. By the end of 2024, the unit achieved a CLABSI standardized infection ratio of 0.414, representing a substantial improvement compared to the 2023 ratio of 1.45. The cost avoidance from ABC implementation was about $320,787. CLABSI reduction was sustained in 2025, and ABCs were implemented on the hematology-oncology unit.
During the past decade, cell and gene therapies have moved from experimental interventions to integral components of contemporary oncology nursing practice. In response to the continuously changing landscape and the widening.
