“The reason that oncology nursing developed at the moment it did was from you and the other few people who were real leaders in your field. . . . It happened in that particular moment because of you and [the other founding members of ONS],” George Hill, MD, MA, DLitt, Captain, Medical Corps, U.S. Navy Reserve (retired), told Cindi Cantril, MPH, RN, OCN®, CBCN, founding board member and first vice president of ONS. Hill was a monumental supporter of ONS’s founding and incorporation in 1975, and the duo reflected on their experiences and the history of oncology nursing. You can earn free NCPD contact hours after listening to this episode and completing the evaluation linked below.

Music Credit: “Fireflies and Stardust” by Kevin MacLeod

Licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0

Earn 0.5 contact hours of nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) by listening to the full recording and completing an evaluation at myoutcomes.ons.org by May 5, 2025. The planners and faculty for this episode have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose. ONS is accredited as a provider of NCPD by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

Learning outcome: The learner will report an increase in knowledge related to the early formation of ONS.

Episode Notes

• Complete this evaluation for free NCPD.
• Learn more about the history of ONS.
• ONS Voice articles:
  • NOBC Partnerships Advance Nurses’ Placements on Local and National Boards
  • Boards and Committees Need Oncology APRN Voices. Will You Step Up to the Challenge?
• Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing article: Supporting One Another for 40 Years
• The Early Days: Four Smiles and a Post Office Box
• Oncology Nursing Foundation
• Association of Community Cancer Centers
• American Association for Cancer Education
• European Association for Cancer Education
• National Cancer Act of 1971

To discuss the information in this episode with other oncology nurses, visit the ONS Communities.

To provide feedback or otherwise reach ONS about the podcast, email [email protected].

Highlights From Today’s Episode

“There’s no doubt that the National Cancer Act elevated the whole field of oncology into something that was very different. . . . The reason that oncology nursing developed at the moment it did was from you and the other few people who were real leaders in your field. . . . It happened in that particular moment because of you and [the other founding members of ONS].” Timestamp (TS) 02:48

“In the 1950s and 60s, cancer was a word that was never mentioned. The idea of having something called cancer was so mysterious, so dangerous, so frightful, you could not mention cancer. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City was a pioneer in introducing the word cancer to be able to be used. But most everywhere else, even in oncology, we had to dodge around the term.” TS 09:43

“Throughout America, people need medical care and cancer care close to home. People can often drive many hours just to reach a community cancer center. To reach a comprehensive cancer center such as Memorial Sloan Kettering or MD Anderson would be impossible. So, the idea of developing physicians and radiation therapists and nursing oncologists who can do the job close to home is terribly important, otherwise they just don’t get treated.” TS 12:44

“The opportunity and the goal of working with people of like mind in other countries is well worth doing. And we also learn from them.” TS 28:33