Last year at the inaugural assembly of the School of Nursing Oncology™ (SONO™) we covered a wide range of topics, cancer types, and methods to address patient concerns. Discussions focused on the management and treatment of the most common forms of cancer, including breast cancer, gastrointestinal cancers, genitourinary cancers, hematologic malignancies, melanoma, and lung cancers. Specific conversations delved into the details of supportive and palliative care strategies, how to address chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) head-on, as well as an in-depth exploration into the clinical applications and implications of the numerous recent advancements in immunotherapy.
Nausea and vomiting are consistently among patients’ top concerns when receiving chemotherapy. CINV greatly affects patients’ quality of life, during an already difficult time. At last year’s assembly, Beth Eaby-Sandy, MSN, CRNP, OCN, co-chair of SONO™, went into detail on the toll CINV can have on your patients. After detailing the neurologic and pathophysiologic underpinning of the nausea/vomiting reflex and how to inhibit it, Eaby-Sandy addressed important risk factors to consider for your patients as well as commonly faced barriers to symptom management. When it comes to educating the patient, “the nurse is always the best person for this,” said Eaby-Sandy.
In the morning of the last year’s meeting, Grace Cherry, RN, MSN, NP, co-chair of SONO™ led one of the many malignancy-specific discussions. More than an update on the state of the science, Cherry engaged learners in all essential practices in the care of patients with melanoma. Being an oncology nurse that treats melanoma requires the timely identification, diagnosis, and staging of patients, as well as skills in patient counseling strategies for the latest treatment options. “Realize that you have an integral role in increasing awareness and importance in the detection and prevention of skin cancer,” concluded Cherry. “Our patients look to us.”