Joyce Pagan

An educational class developed and implemented to help prepare patients and families for their radiation therapy treatment experience has been well received overall by the 128 participants who have completed the sessions thus far, according to a presentation reported during the Oncology Nursing Society 36th Annual Congress.

Skin reactions, common side effects of cancer radiation treatment, can be managed using a skin care protocol and algorithm, according to a presentation at the Oncology Nursing Society 36th Annual Congress.

The radiation oncology department at Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, has instituted an animal-assisted therapy (AAT) program to help outpatients reduce stress, improve mood, and decrease anxiety during their radiation therapy visit, according to a presentation during the Oncology Nursing Society 36th Annual Congress.

Nurses should be aware of a stigma surrounding human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and factor that into communications with patients, Cheryl S. Lee, MS, RN, ACNP-BC, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, said in presenting a systematic review of how messages about the HPV vaccine are framed during the Oncology Nursing Society 36th Annual Congress.

Is the patient in danger of iron overload following transfusions of packed red blood cells (RBCs)? If so, we call in the “iron police.” This dedicated team, comprised of a nurse practitioner, a registered nurse, and a social worker, will help ensure each patient requiring a transfusion is appropriately monitored, said Angela Lambing, MSN, NP-C, Henry Ford Health System, Detroit, Michigan, during the Oncology Nursing Society 36th Annual Congress.

The current world political climate, the world’s reliance on nuclear power, and the demonstrated potential for radiation disasters, such as the recent catastrophic events in Fukushima, Japan, necessitate a closer look at radiation disaster planning, presenters noted during the Oncology Nursing Society 36th Annual Congress.

The program, outlined by Lisa Privitere, RN, BSN, OCN®, BMT, RPCI, and colleagues, in a presentation at the Oncology Nursing Society 36th Annual Congress, follows the story of a young girl (the orientee) on an adventure attempting to make sense of her new world, growing up and forever being changed to the White Rabbit (the preceptor) carrying a watch, always in a hurry.

A multi-phased educational program designed to increase staff knowledge on the development of steroid-induced hyperglycemia, promote implementation of evidence-based practices, and expand patient education materials was presented at the Oncology Nursing Society 36th Annual Congress.

Standardized posthospitalization care education administered through an Oncology CarePartner Program that addressed the patient’s physical and emotional needs was found to improve caregivers’ overall well-being, but had no impact on the time spent on caregiving or difficulty with caregiving tasks. That’s the result of a study presented at the Oncology Nursing Society 36th Annual Congress.