The Oncology Nursing Podcast

The Oncology Nursing Podcast episodes:

• 04.19.2024

  Episode 308: Hazardous Drugs and Hazardous Waste: Personal, Patient, and Environmental Safety

  “One of the things that I know Dr. [Tom] Connor worked on very heavily in his career is the long-term impact on the health of nurses and other exposed healthcare workers. We definitely need more longitudinal studies, which are difficult...

  
• 04.12.2024

  Episode 307: AYAs With Cancer: Financial Toxicity

  “When we’re talking about the role of nurses in addressing these challenges, they play a critical role because of when they actually get to see patients. And so, if we can help with early identification and assessment, really finding...

  
• 04.05.2024

  Episode 306: Cancer Symptom Management Basics: CNS Toxicities

  “At the beginning, like when you first meet someone before they’ve even started anything, kind of get a baseline of ‘What’s your ability to complete your daily activities? How is your coordination? How’s your speech now? How is your...

  
• 03.29.2024

  Episode 305: Pharmacology 101: Nitrosoureas

  “A couple of things I think are really important when you look at this class of drug: It developed by a concerted effort in cancer drug development to look at new agents that would be effective based on the...

  
• 03.22.2024

  Episode 304: Nursing Roles in FDA: The Drug Labeling and Package Insert Process

  “The prescribing information is really a reliable data-driven and comprehensively reviewed tool. That’s not just for healthcare providers when writing a prescription, but also, for example, it is a tool that can be used to generate educational content for...

  
• 03.15.2024

  Episode 303: Cancer Symptom Management Basics: Ocular Toxicities

  “First, you want to refer patients to an eye care provider prior to initiating therapy, and I think communication at this point is really important. You need to tell the eye care provider why they’re being referred, what treatment...

  
• 03.08.2024

  Episode 302: Patient Navigation Eliminates Disparities in Cancer Care

  “We’ve seen over and over from an access standpoint how that makes a difference, then especially when you’re looking across racial disparities, ethnic disparities, geographic disparities, that having that person who can break down those barriers then is...

  
• 03.01.2024

  Episode 301: Radiation Oncology: Side Effect and Care Coordination Best Practices

  “Social work was involved because we could be radiation gung-ho, ready to go; chemo can be ready, but whoops, this patient doesn’t have a ride. It can be little things like that, you know, where we kind of forget....

  
• 02.23.2024

  Episode 300: AYAs With Cancer: End-of-Life Care Planning

  “Trying to give them as much autonomy as possible is really important. I always like to ask, ‘Would you like to have a conversation? Do you think that you can handle a conversation about advance care planning?’ Or ‘What you...

  
• 02.16.2024

  Episode 299: Pharmacology 101: Plant Alkaloids

  “I can't stress enough how often I get questions about, ‘Is this the paclitaxel doing this? Is this the docetaxel doing this?’ And coming up with strategies to kind of help get our patients through with supportive care is important....

  
• 02.09.2024

  Episode 298: Radiation Oncology: Nursing’s Essential Roles

  “We are there for whatever issue, whether it's skin management or helping just cheer them on and manage small things or big things, you know, to get them through these treatments. And then as a patient completes the...

  
• 02.02.2024

  Episode 297: Intra-Arterial Chemotherapy Administration: The Oncology Nurse’s Role

   “What you teach patients about that the side effects may be somewhat different, because it's more of a regional treatment with less systemic toxicities, so it's teaching patients about the drugs, the side effects, and the actual...

  
• 01.26.2024

  Episode 296: Pharmacology 101: Anthracyclines and Other Antitumor Antibiotics

  “The search for daunorubicin’s sister really led to this discovery of doxorubicin, which is an analog with much greater activity. The discovery of doxorubicin can be coined kind of as, ‘one of the best drugs born in Milan,...

  
• 01.19.2024

  Episode 295: Cancer Symptom Management Basics: Pulmonary Embolism, Pneumonitis, and Pleural Effusion

    “So much of this is just knowing what is their diagnosis, what medications are they on, what could be the root cause of this—where is their disease to begin with? There's really a lot...

  
• 01.12.2024

  Episode 294: AYAs With Cancer: Clinical Trial Enrollment Barriers and Facilitators

  “AYAs are underrepresented in clinical trials and unfortunately have one of the highest rates of being uninsured of any population. So, this is really concerning for a lot of reasons and really impacts our ability to make a...

  
• 01.05.2024

  Episode 293: Access to Care: How to Manage Moral Dilemmas and Advocate for Your Patients

  “I can think of examples where I have two patients. They have the same diagnosis, but they have two different insurance companies, treatment plan’s the same. ‘Patient A’ isn't going to get the optimal treatment plan because their...

  
• 12.29.2023

  Episode 292: What We Need to Do to Retain Today’s Oncology Nursing Workforce

  “With the turnover rates where they’re at now, there’s no way we can keep thinking how we did in the past—like, we have to. There’s no doubt. We have to think differently,” Deborah Cline, DNP, RN, associate professor...

  
• 12.22.2023

  Episode 291: Build a Sense of Belonging for Nurses and Patients

    “A sense of belonging is what tethers us to those who share in our spaces that work with us. Belonging is fueled by a social connection, which is one of our basic human needs. When...

  
• 12.15.2023

  Episode 290: Cancer Symptom Management Basics: Peripheral Neuropathy

  “I think educating patients of what can happen and those are the symptoms you're really looking for to decrease this from getting to the severe level is like the sensory stuff. It's kind of your starting point and...

  
• 12.08.2023

  Episode 289: 2023 Health Policy Wrap-Up and Outlook for 2024

  “Our top priorities really revolve around ensuring that everybody, regardless of their income, regardless of their gender, regardless of their race, regardless of where in the country they live, has access to the very best care for them...

  
• 12.01.2023

  Episode 288: Pharmacology 101: Antimetabolites

  “I think that there are certain agents that are so foundational in some diseases that they will remain. Whether they remain first-line, maybe not; maybe they’ll go to second line as we see things evolve with new agents....

  
• 11.24.2023

  Episode 287: Tools, Techniques, and Real-World Examples for Difficult Conversations in Cancer Care

  “I think the key in effective communication is building trust, because without trust, patients are not likely to engage in their care as effectively, which can influence patient well-being and their overall health outcomes. Building trust is, I...

  
• 11.17.2023

  Episode 286: Pharmacology 101: Alkylating Agents

  “When I meet with patients, I try and remind them, ‘Yes, you do have these side effects that can happen’ and make sure that they’re informed, but also try and reassure them that not everyone gets it as...

  
• 11.10.2023

  Episode 285: Transarterial Chemoembolization: The Oncology Nurse’s Role

  “I think oftentimes people think this is just a radiology procedure that is rather benign. That’s really the role of the oncology nurse, just to be [an educator], support, emotional support, and a coach,” Lisa Parks, MS, APRN-CNP,...

  
• 11.03.2023

  Episode 284: How AI Is Influencing Cancer Care and Oncology Nursing

  “We incorporate nurses and clinicians and users for any tool from the very beginning. They say, ‘You know, we need help with this.’ And then we start ideation: We start understanding the problem, we meet with them, we...

  
• 10.27.2023

  Episode 283: Desensitization Strategies to Reintroduce Treatment After an Infusion-Related Reaction

  “Having a nurse-driven protocol, at my facility we call them clinical practice guidelines, allows for that immediate action and swift intervention for the patient,” Maura Price, MSN, RN, AOCNS®, oncology clinical nurse specialist at the Lehigh Valley Topper...

  
• 10.20.2023

  Episode 282: Telehealth-Based Oncology Palliative Care

  “We really need to do our best to reach people who don’t have access to palliative care in their communities, and this is an innovative way for us to do that,” Carey Ramirez, ANP-C, ACHPN, nurse practitioner and manager...

  
• 10.13.2023

  Episode 281: Nursing’s Role in AI in Health Care

  “I think the horizon, the trends that we are seeing today, are indicating that this technology is just going to explode and be integrated into everything we do in nursing or beyond. Many of the things with nursing are...

  
• 10.06.2023

  Episode 280: Create a Culture of Safety: Learning Culture

  “As nurses and healthcare providers, we need to be up to date with the most current evidence-based practices. To achieve and maintain this, we must institute a learning culture. It is critical to promote a learning culture and healthcare...

  
• 09.29.2023

  Episode 279: Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Scleroderma and Other Autoimmune Diseases

  “I think the most amazing thing we see is the softening of the skin, which can occur during the first two weeks of the conditioning regimen. The nurses on the floor see it, and I think it’s just a...

  
• 09.22.2023

  Episode 278: Cancer Symptom Management Basics: Hepatic Complications

  “I think that as oncology nurses, we need to keep ourselves really educated and up to date with these new therapies, because I honestly feel like we still haven't really seen the long-term effects of this treatment,” ONS member...

  
• 09.15.2023

  Episode 277: Futility in Care: How to Advocate for Your Patients and Prevent Ethical Distress

  “One of the things about futility is many people will say, ‘Oh this is futile care,’ when what they really mean is, ‘Who in their right mind would want this?’ or ‘I would never ever want this,’ and that's...

  
• 09.08.2023

  Episode 276: Support Young Families During a Parent’s Cancer Journey

  “Reassuring doesn’t always mean providing solutions. Sometimes, it’s providing support. There are some key tips that can be helpful for supporting patients when they’re ready, when they’re asking, ‘What about my kids?’ Like, what are the things when you leave...

  
• 09.01.2023

  Episode 275: Bispecific Monoclonal Antibodies in Hematologic Cancers and Solid Tumors

  “It’s really important to look at where your target is and what the toxicities are associated with hitting that target. Make sure you include that thinking when you’re talking about bispecifics,” ONS member Rowena (Moe) Schwartz, PharmD, BCOP, professor...

  
• 08.25.2023

  Episode 274: Music Therapy for Patients With Cancer

  “You don’t have to have any musical background to benefit from musical therapy,” ONS member Susan Yaguda, MSN, RN, manager of integrative oncology and survivorship in the Department of Supportive Oncology at the Levine Cancer Institute in Charlotte, North...

  
• 08.18.2023

  Episode 273: Updates in Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy

  “It’s really an exciting time to be in the field of oncology because we can have these specific drugs that target these specific variants rather than, back in the day, when we had to use kind of generic cancer therapies...

  
• 08.11.2023

  Episode 272: Oncologic Emergencies 101: Radiation Therapy for Emergent and Urgent Interventions

  “Like all emergencies, they’re unpredictable. I have seen them at the very beginning and sometimes, unfortunately, that can be the patient’s first sign or symptom that they have cancer. It can be something like they’ve lost the ability to walk,...

  
• 08.04.2023

  Episode 271: Intraventricular and Intrathecal Administration: The Oncology Nurse’s Role

  “These patients have very intense regimens of chemotherapy. They’re tired a lot of the time. Between their oral chemotherapy, their IV chemotherapy, their hospitalizations, and then coming in. Everything takes longer than we would like it to for these patients....

  
• 07.28.2023

  Episode 270: Meet the ONS Board of Directors: Brown, MacIntyre, and Woods

  What is it like to guide a professional association that serves more than 100,000 oncology nurses? ONS Chief Executive Officer Brenda Nevidjon, MSN, RN, FAAN, and 2023–2026 Directors-at-Large Susan Brown, PhD, MSN, CENP, Jessica MacIntyre, DNP, MBA, APRN, AOCNP®, and...

  
• 07.21.2023

  Episode 269: Cancer Symptom Management Basics: Gastrointestinal Complications

  “Since gastrointestinal complications are so broad, you will see these types of complications in really any oncology setting,” ONS member Kara Freedman, MS, RN, AGCNS-BC, PCCN, OCN®, clinical nurse specialist in ambulatory GI surgery/medicine at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center...

  
• 07.14.2023

  Episode 268: Race in Research: From Subjects to Scientists, ONS Scholar-in-Residence Has a Career Commitment to Racial Equity

  “If we’re not driving our own research agenda and we’re not asking the questions we see as important, we are not realizing the full potential of nursing. We know, because we are with patients, what the issues are for patients,...

  
• 07.07.2023

  Episode 267: Side-Effect Management for CAR T-Cell Therapy for Hematologic Malignancies

    “I think the take-home message here, though, is to have very specific guidelines at your institution to manage both CRS and ICANS. The protocols should be readily available to all practitioners who may participate in the care of...

  
• 06.30.2023

  Episode 266: Create a Culture of Safety: Reporting Culture

  “We need to continue to remind everyone that reporting culture improves safety, that events are usually because of a system or process gap, and there is a clear difference between a system gap and neglectful or at-risk behavior,” ONS member...

  
• 06.23.2023

  Episode 265: Intravesical Administration: The Oncology Nurse’s Role

   “Sometimes you think, ‘Oh, these are just bladder patients; it’s different.’ But it might not be different. They still have a cancer diagnosis; this is still going to be a very fearful and unsettling time for that patient and...

  
• 06.16.2023

  Episode 264: Stop the Stressors and Improve Your Mental Health as a Nurse

  “The mental and physical health of the healthcare team, especially the nurses, has to come first because if you are not physically and mentally and spiritually in a good place, you cannot help other people. We’re going to have less...

  
• 06.09.2023

  Episode 263: Oncology Nursing Storytelling: Renewal

  An essential act of well-being, the practice of storytelling creates a social connection that fosters a sense of community and mutual support in both the storyteller and listener. During the Second Annual ONS Storytelling session held at the 48th...

  
• 06.02.2023

  Episode 262: LGBTQ+ Inclusive Nursing Care Begins With Using Supportive Language

  “Being an ally means you’re coming from a place where you know what issues are going on, you stay up to date about what’s happening in the world, and just because you don’t identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community,...

  
• 05.26.2023

  Episode 261: CAR T-Cell Therapy for Hematologic Malignancies Requires Education and Navigation

  “Just like with anything we do in oncology, a lot of education is required. Nurses and coordinators are critical to start the education and provide effective resources that are reinforced throughout the treatment,” ONS member Beth Faiman, PhD, MSN, APN-BC,...

  
• 05.19.2023

  Episode 260: Diversity in Cancer Clinical Trials

  “I think it’s important to ensure that you consider each person uniquely. Because no matter how much I know or the nurse knows about the population, everybody is a little bit different. It’s really important to personalize every approach and...

  
• 05.12.2023

  Episode 259: Patient Education for Health Literacy and Limited English Proficiency

  “I think there’s a big misconception that health literacy means someone’s ability to read or write, and really it’s much more than that,” ONS member Regina Carlisle, MS, BSN, RN, OCN®, senior cancer information nurse at University Hospitals Seidman Cancer...