“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 of pharmacy practice at the James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS®, manager of oncology nursing practice at ONS, during a discussion about the use of bispecific monoclonal antibodies in hematologic cancers and solid tumors.  

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 

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 bispecific monoclonal antibodies in hematologic cancers and solid tumors. 

Episode Notes 

• The NCPD activity for this episode has expired, but you can still earn NCPD through many other ONS Podcast episodes. Find a full list of opportunities.

• ONS Voice drug reference sheets and FDA announcements about bispecific anticancer therapies 

• ONS resources for cytokine release syndrome 

• Oncology Nursing Podcast Episode 176: Oncologic Emergencies 101: Cytokine Release Syndrome 

• Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing article: STAT: Cytokine Release Syndrome 

• Clinical Practice Resource 

• Clinical Practice Video 

• Huddle Card™ 

• Cancer article: The BiTE (Bispecific T-Cell Engager) Platform: Development and Future Potential of a Targeted Immuno-Oncology Therapy Across Tumor Types 

• Pharmaceutics article: Bispecific Antibodies in Cancer Immunotherapy: A Novel Response to an Old Question 

• U.S. Food and Drug Administration label search for package inserts 

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

To find resources for creating an ONS Podcast Club in your chapter or nursing community, visit the ONS Podcast Library. 

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

Highlights From Today’s Episode 

“When we talk about bispecifics, we need to really pay attention to both the target on the cancer and the target for T-cell engaging, because that impacts both efficacy but also toxicity.” TS 4:20 

“If you really look deep into the clinical trials, often the patients that are receiving these agents in clinical trials have had more than the required three or four lines of treatment. They may have had five or more lines of treatment. So it’s really important to kind of look at where it sits right now, knowing, of course, that that’s an evolving target.” TS 7:13 

“One of the things I think can be missed, at times, is the fact that you need to consider the toxicities associated with your target on the cancer cell.” TS 10:06 

“In terms of mitigating risk, there’s been two major ways that have been done. One is a step-up dose schedule, and so one of the key things I would say: If you’re not familiar with an agent that you’re going to be administering, it’s really important to review the entire step-up scheme because it's different for each agent. In some cases, patients need to be admitted to the hospital for the entire step-up strategy. Other times it's just the first dose. So it’s really important to look at that.” TS 11:58 

“I think we’re going to get to the point where our teaching strategy is going to have to be somewhat tailored to the agent we’re giving. So, how the drug is given during the step-up, what the subsequent cycling is going to be, whether it’s going to be a Q21-day cycle or a weekly dosing administration or every-two-week administration after a certain point. So, I think some understanding of what to expect going forward because these are drugs that are given continually in most situations and so it’s important for people to know what to expect.” TS 14:25 

“I think we’re going to see bispecifics that perhaps engage other aspects of the immune system besides CD3. In fact, those are in clinical trials. And I do believe that we’re going to see these more and more developed for cancers beyond the hematologic malignancies. There’s a lot of work being done at looking at targets that we know are helpful targets in certain cancers. And I think we’ll see more drugs approved beyond the myeloma and the lymphoma and the leukemia space.” TS 20:42 

“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 Carolina, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS®, manager of oncology nursing practice at ONS, during a discussion about how music therapists and oncology nurses collaborate to offer music therapy’s benefits to patients with cancer.  

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 

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 use of music therapy. 

Episode Notes 

• The NCPD activity for this episode has expired, but you can still earn NCPD through many other ONS Podcast episodes. Find a full list of opportunities.

• ONS Voice articles: 

• What the Evidence Says About Music Therapy for Cancer-Related Fatigue 

• Music Therapy May Bridge Race-Related Gaps in Cancer Pain Management 

• Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing article: Mindful Awareness of Music: A Modality for Symptom Management 

• Academy of Neurologic Music Therapy 

• American Music Therapy Association 

• Association for Music and Imagery 

• Certification Board of Music Therapists 

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

To find resources for creating an ONS Podcast Club in your chapter or nursing community, visit the ONS Podcast Library. 

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

Highlights From Today’s Episode 

“A lot of people have their workout playlist or something that kind of pumps them up before they're going to go play a tennis match or something like that. But in using music in this way, there isn't really a specific therapeutic goal and the relationship in these situations. And while any of us can provide recorded music or live music to patients, certainly our care partners, if we're not trained as music therapists, it just should not be considered or referred to as music therapy.” TS 3:56 

“It might be using music to help regulate breath work, to reduce stress and anxiety associated with whatever they're having done in the suite. It can also be used as a distraction.” TS 6:19 

“Oftentimes after that point, our patients may be starting to experience some other troubling side effects or symptoms from their treatment or their cancer. The music therapist can help them with better manage those in a supportive way. And this can be done in things like techniques to help them manage pain, techniques to help them maybe destress and get more restful, sleep even.” TS 7:00 

“Sometimes using music as that tool helps create the space that does feel even more safe. It’s not necessarily having to talk to someone directly, but music is the vehicle for doing that processing work.” TS 15:01 

“There is receptive music therapy. So that is basically where the person receiving music therapy is not co-creating music, or writing lyrics, or anything like that, they’re just listening. There might just be some paced breathing exercises that are incorporated into this. It tends to be a more repetitive type of cadence to the music that can help create just being in a better zone if they’re trying to and bring the anxiety level down.” TS 16:16 

“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 that weren’t specific for an individual’s cancer,” ONS member Suzanne Walker, PhD, CRNP, AOCN®, senior advanced practice provider and coordinator for thoracic malignancies at the Abramson Cancer Center at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center in Philadelphia, PA, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS®, manager of oncology nursing practice at ONS, during a discussion about the latest updates in chemotherapy and immunotherapy treatments. Walker is one of the editors of ONS’s second edition of the Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy Guidelines and Recommendations for Practice book. 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

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 updates in chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

Episode Notes

• The NCPD activity for this episode has expired, but you can still earn NCPD through many other ONS Podcast episodes. Find a full list of opportunities.
• Oncology Nursing Podcast:
• Episode 242: Oncology Pharmacology 2023: Today’s Treatments and Tomorrow’s Breakthroughs
• Episode 139: How CAR and Other T Cells Are Revolutionizing Cancer Treatment
• ONS books:
• Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy Guidelines and Recommendations for Practice (second edition)
• Clinical Guide to Antineoplastic Therapy: A Chemotherapy Handbook (fourth edition)
• Guide to Cancer Immunotherapy
• ONS Biomarker Database
• ONS courses:
• ONS/ONCC Chemotherapy Immunotherapy Certificate Course
• ONS/ONCC Chemotherapy Immunotherapy Certificate Renewal Course
• Fundamentals of Chemotherapy Immunotherapy Administration
• Fundamentals of Chemotherapy Immunotherapy Administration Renewal
• ONS Huddle Cards™️:
• Antineoplastic Administration
• Chemotherapy
• Immunotherapy
• Targeted Therapy
• ONS Immuno-Oncology Learning Library
• ONS Congress®
• American Cancer Society
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Oncology Drug Approvals
• National Cancer Institute
• National Comprehensive Cancer Network
• Nature Reviews Drug Discovery article: Trends in the Approval of Cancer Therapies by FDA In the Twenty-First Century
• OncoLink

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

To find resources for creating an ONS Podcast Club in your chapter or nursing community, visit the ONS Podcast Library. 

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

Highlights From Today’s Episode

“We’ve seen significant improvement in cancer survival over the past one to two decades. And primarily we’ve seen this not only from reductions in smoking and earlier cancer detection, but advancements in some of our treatments, most notably in the realm of immunotherapy and targeted therapy.” Timestamp (TS) 02:07

“With the discovery of the biomarkers, it has brought around the discovery of genomic-driven therapies that are specific to these biomarkers. That’s really changed the landscape of oncology for people that have one of these driver variants.” TS 07:55

“I’ve definitely seen in my practice where therapy has been completed and, especially for some of these immunotherapy drugs, a couple of months later the patient develops a toxicity that is from the prior immunotherapy. Even chemotherapy can have some long-term toxicities, but we do have to even keep it in mind for immunotherapy that once these drugs are finished, there still could be some long-term side effects. Since they are newer drugs, we still are learning about what some of these long-term toxicities look like.” TS 26:56

“There haven’t been a ton of new FDA approvals specific for chemotherapy; however, we have seen chemotherapy still used in practice, particularly in combination with some of these novel therapies. Particularly, we see a lot of chemotherapy and immunotherapy combinations.” TS 27:47

“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, or their breathing gets difficult. I’ve also seen it during the middle of their care continuum where we finish a round of radiation and they develop metastatic disease so the next time you see then for radiation can be for a cord compression. I’ve also seen it toward the end of their care continuum where this is strictly a quality-of-life measure,” ONS member John Hollman, BSN, RN, OCN®, senior nurse manager of radiation oncology at AdventHealth Cancer Institute in Orlando, FL, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS®, manager of oncology nursing practice at ONS, during a discussion about radiation therapy for emergent and urgent interventions. 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

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 radiation therapy when used in the emergent and urgent setting.

Episode Notes

• The NCPD activity for this episode has expired, but you can still earn NCPD through many other ONS Podcast episodes. Find a full list of opportunities.
• Oncology Nursing Podcast:
  • Episode 223: Oncologic Emergencies 101: Superior Vena Cava Syndrome
  • Episode 210: Oncologic Emergencies 101: Spinal Cord Compression
  • Previous Oncology Nursing Podcast episodes on oncologic emergencies
• ONS Voice article: The Intersection of Radiation and Medical Oncology Nursing
• ONS courses:
  • ONS/ONCC Radiation Therapy Certificate Course
  • Oncologic Emergencies
• ONS book: Manual for Radiation Oncology Nursing Practice and Education (fifth edition)
• ONS Congress® Radiation Track
• ONS Huddle Cards:
  • Radiation
  • Superior Vena Cava Syndrome
  • Spinal Cord Compression
• ONS Oncologic Emergencies Learning Library
• American Society for Radiation Oncology
• RT Answers

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

To find resources for creating an ONS Podcast Club in your chapter or nursing community, visit the ONS Podcast Library. 

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

Highlights From Today’s Episode

“It is a larger dose per day typically than you would give for six weeks. So, you want to give a lower dose per day if you’re going to stretch it out for six to eight weeks. Shorter courses like these, for emergencies, are a higher dose per day but a short time frame of treatment.” Timestamp (TS) 14:34

“As a nurse, I kind of like to overeducate, and you can kind of tell which patients are more receptive to knowing everything, and some of them want to know the bare minimum.” TS 16:14

“The thing that’s different with these patients is that sometimes those side effects will hit when they’re no longer in your clinic.” TS 17:19

“I say get to know your medical oncologists and your radiation oncologist. Communication can be open; it doesn’t have to be a silo if you don’t need it to be.” TS 22:14

“The more educated the patient is, it lessens their nerves. I feel like the more educated they are, they know what to expect. They know every step of the process.” TS 32:02

“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. They are long days to come in for a procedure,” ONS member Rebekah Rabinowitz, RN, BSN, OCN®, neuro-oncology nurse at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, GA, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS®, oncology clinical specialist at ONS, during a discussion about nursing considerations for intraventricular and intrathecal administration. 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

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 antineoplastic administration via intraventricular and intrathecal routes.

Episode Notes

• The NCPD activity for this episode has expired, but you can still earn NCPD through many other ONS Podcast episodes. Find a full list of opportunities.
• Oncology Nursing Podcast:
  • Episode 197: Patient Learning Needs and Educational Assessments
  • Episode 183: How Oncology Nurses Find and Use Credible Patient Education Resources
• ONS Voice article: Nurses Can Protect Patients From Neurotoxicity During Lumbar Puncture Procedures
• ONS courses:
  • ONS/ONCC Chemotherapy Immunotherapy Certificate Course
  • ONS/ONCC Chemotherapy Immunotherapy Certificate Renewal Course
  • Safe Handling Basics
• ONS books:
  • Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy Guidelines and Recommendations for Practice (second edition)
  • Access Device Standards of Practice for Oncology Nursing
• Leukemia and Lymphoma Society: Lumbar Puncture

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

To find resources for creating an ONS Podcast Club in your chapter or nursing community, visit the ONS Podcast Library. 

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

Highlights From Today’s Episode

“We’re not actually giving the chemotherapy intrathecal or intraventricular, but we’re there for the whole process. Handing the chemotherapy and the check off, the whole thing. We’re monitoring them if they’re sedated. We’re making sure they’re getting their antiemetics.” Timestamp (TS) 12:31

“When we’re doing teaching with the patient, we often do bring up that it’s similar to when women get an epidural when they’re having a baby. It’s the same space that we’re using. We’re using a smaller needle, we’re not leaving a catheter in, but pregnant people do it every day. That sort of helps ease a little anxiety when they think about it that way.” TS 15:04

“You have to meet their medical literacy needs. They may not be aware that this administration route even exists.” TS 21:42

“People think that it’s going to be a painful procedure. It’s uncomfortable, people don’t like it, but it’s not horribly painful. If we do see pain, that’s concerning. It’ll likely be an ER visit for imaging.” TS 26:36

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 Trey Woods, RN, MSN, NP-C, discuss the ONS Leadership Development Committee’s appointment process for the ONS Board of Directors, reflect on their experience in ONS, and elaborate on the work they do in their leadership positions. 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

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 role of the ONS Board of Directors.

Episode Notes

• The NCPD activity for this episode has expired, but you can still earn NCPD through many other ONS Podcast episodes. Find a full list of opportunities.
• ONS Leadership Process 
• ONS DEI Commitment Statement 
• Oncology Nursing Podcast episodes:
  • Episode 239: Meet the ONS Board of Directors: Allen, Mathey, and Robison
  • Episode 224: Meet the ONS Board of Directors: Nevidjon, Geddie, and Garner
  • Episode 213: Meet the ONS Board of Directors: Brant, Burger, and Knoop
  • Episode 200: Meet the ONS Board of Directors: Houlihan, Ferguson, and Polovich 
• ONS Leadership Learning Library
• ONS Strategic Plan 
• Get involved with ONS.
• View all ONS position statements.

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

To find resources for creating an ONS Podcast Club in your chapter or nursing community, visit the ONS Podcast Library. 

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

Highlights From Today’s Episode

Trey Woods: “An emphasis of my service really has been on lots of volunteer opportunities and lots of committee work, and I just feel like that’s opened the door to me for so many great networking opportunities. I would certainly encourage anybody who’s interested in leadership or volunteering to look into the multitude of opportunities that ONS makes available to the members.” Timestamp (TS) 9:41

Jessica MacIntyre: “I really wanted to pay it forward, and I also want to continue to be a voice and advocate for our patients and members. And there’s no better platform than ONS to take my advocacy to the next level. I couldn’t be prouder to lead ONS in this role and to contribute to its mission of excellence in oncology nursing and transforming cancer care.” TS 14:50

Jessica MacIntyre: “What struck me the most is the breadth and depth of issues we tackle. I think from policy to strategic initiatives, the agenda is truly dynamic, and it’s been a testament to how every aspect of our profession can be a catalyst for change.” TS 24:48

Susan Brown: “I’m just so impressed and inspired by the dedication and commitment of the people sitting around the ONS Board table.” TS 31:27

Trey Woods: “When it comes to nursing burnout, I think the focus really needs to be on what is encouraging, because for all the things that concern me, I think that there’s opportunity for encouragement. I think there’s opportunities for organizations like ours to move nursing forward.” TS 33:52

Susan Brown: “We keep having a lot of first-timers at ONS Congress®, and that just tells me that our job of educating oncology nurses of the future is a never-ending process.” TS 37:22

“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 in New York, NY, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS®, oncology clinical specialist at ONS, during a discussion about managing gastrointestinal complications. 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 

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 gastrointestinal symptom management.

Episode Notes

• The NCPD activity for this episode has expired, but you can still earn NCPD through many other ONS Podcast episodes. Find a full list of opportunities.
• Previous Oncology Nursing Podcast episodes on cancer symptom management basics
• ONS book: Cancer Basics (third edition)
• ONS Clinical Practice Resource: Nutrition Impact Symptom Management Guide
• ONS course: Cancer Basics
• ONS Nutrition Learning Library
• ONS Guidelines™ and Symptom Interventions:
  • Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting—Adult
  • Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting—Pediatric
  • Mucositis
• American Society of Clinical Oncology Antiemetics Guidelines
• Avasopasem
• National Cancer Institute: Nausea and Vomiting
• National Cancer Institute: Gastrointestinal Complications
• National Comprehensive Cancer Network

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

To find resources for creating an ONS Podcast Club in your chapter or nursing community, visit the ONS Podcast Library.  

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

Highlights From Today’s Episode

“Preparing our patients, not scaring the daylights out of them, but preparing them for what to expect and really when to contact us, not to wait until it gets too severe so that it’s even harder to treat. We really do want to make sure we’re driving this home when we’re educating our patients.” Timestamp (TS) 17:52

“As nurses, we know dietary suggestions that we can give them, but if we are finding a patient needs a little more help, reaching out to our local dietician could really help benefit the patient in a positive way.” TS 24:12

“It takes a village. You know, we are not siloed by ourselves caring for these patients. The patient will benefit from the more support that we give them.” TS 39:05

“There are many other issues and problems that occur, other than nausea and vomiting, for these patients with cancer. This can not only affect their weight and their nutritional status but their overall quality of life as well. It’s really important to make sure we are looking at the whole patient.” TS 39:58

“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, for families, and for communities. We have to be able to say, ‘Nope, this is the question.’” Margaret (Peg) Rosenzweig, PhD, FNP-BC, AOCNP®, ONS’s scholar-in-residence and professor at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS®, oncology clinical specialist at ONS, during a discussion about her oncology nursing clinical and research career, commitment to equity, and role as ONS’s scholar-in-residence. 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

The planners and faculty for this episode have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose. ONS is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. 

Learning outcome: The learner will report an increase in knowledge related to race in research.

Episode Notes

• The NCPD activity for this episode has expired, but you can still earn NCPD through many other ONS Podcast episodes. Find a full list of opportunities. 
• Oncology Nursing Podcast Episode 107: Social Determinants Lead to Unequal Access to Health Care
• ONS clinical practice resources:
  • Racial Disparities in Cancer Care: Biomarker Testing for Lung Cancer
  • Racial Disparities in Cancer Care: First-Line Treatment Options and Side-Effect Management
  • Racial Disparities in Cancer Care: Supportive and Hospice Care
  • Racial Disparities in Cancer Care: Telehealth and Clinical Trial Options
• ONS Voice articles:
  • Cancer Mortality Declines Among Black Patients but Remains Disproportionately High
  • Diversity in Nursing Begins at the Student Level
  • Diversity in Nursing: How the Profession Is Addressing Racial and Gender Gaps
  • Specialized Risk Calculator May Reduce Disparities for Black Patients With Breast Cancer
  • Racism, Health Inequities, and Unequal Access to Care Are Oncology Nursing Research Priorities
• ONS DEI Commitment Statement
• Implicit Bias in Nursing: Identifying and Confronting the Issue
• National Cancer Institute
• National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities
• National Institute of Nursing Research

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

To find resources for creating an ONS Podcast Club in your chapter or nursing community, visit the ONS Podcast Library. 

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

Highlights From Today’s Episode

“A commitment that we all have to have is toward more diversity in oncology nursing and in oncology research and thinking about what can I do in my world.” Timestamp (TS) 7:52

“Unless we listen to and really fully honor what the nurse can ask about their experience with patients, we’re missing so much in the way that we can help patients’ families and communities.” TS 17:08

“I think we haven’t thought fully enough about the patient in the context of their life. I think we’ve thought about symptoms, but we have to think about the patient baring those symptoms, where they come from, and what they’ve experienced. So, I think incorporating the social determinants of health is very important.” TS 18:00

“White researchers will say, ‘It doesn’t matter. You can hire White recruiters and as long as people are properly trained, that should not matter.’ I feel like that is a bit of implicit bias that we as White researchers just don’t recognize. We think it doesn’t matter because it doesn’t matter to us. But it does matter to Black women.” TS 30:13

“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 these patients,” ONS member Phyllis McKiernan, MSN, APN, OCN®, advanced practice provider at the John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, told Lenise Taylor, MN, RN, AOCNS®, BMTCN®, oncology clinical specialist at ONS. McKiernan’s and Taylor’s conversation centered around the nurse’s role in recognizing and managing toxicities related to CAR T-cell therapy for hematologic malignancies, specifically ICANS and CRS, which was an educational priority that ONS members identified during two ONS focus groups on the topic in March 2023. McKiernan was one of the content experts for those focus groups. 

This podcast episode is produced by ONS and supported by funding from Janssen Oncology/Legend Biotech. ONS is solely responsible for the criteria, objectives, content, quality, and scientific integrity of its programs and publications.  

Music Credit: “Fireflies and Stardust” by Kevin MacLeod  

Licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0   

Episode Notes 

• NCPD contact hours are not available for this episode. 
• Oncology Nursing Podcast episodes:
  • Oncologic Emergencies 101 series
  • Episode 261: CAR T-Cell Therapy for Hematologic Malignancies Requires Education and Navigation
  • Episode 139: How CAR and Other T Cells Are Revolutionizing Cancer Treatment
  • Episode 1: Experiences With CAR T-Cell Therapy
• ONS Clinical Practice Resources:
  • Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy: A Timeline of Events and Adverse Events
  • Cytokine Release Syndrome
• ONS Clinical Update: Focus on Clinical Experiences With CAR T-Cell Therapy
• ONS course: Nursing Considerations for CAR T-Cell Therapy for Patients With Hematologic Malignancies: Patient Education and Symptom Management
• ONS Huddle Card™️: Cytokine Release Syndrome
• ONS Immuno-Oncology Learning Library
• ONS videos:
  • CAR T-Cell Therapy
  • Cytokine Release Syndrome
• American Cancer Society
• American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Grading Scale for CRS and ICANS
• Leukemia and Lymphoma Society 
• Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation 
• National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute
• Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies 

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

To find resources for creating an ONS Podcast Club in your chapter or nursing community, visit the ONS Podcast Library.  

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

Highlights From Today’s Episode 

“All symptoms need to be investigated fully to determine their cause and thus the best management strategy and not just simply assume that they’re related to CAR T.” Timestamp (TS) 9:21  

“Accurate grading is really crucial to ensure that the toxicities are identified and managed consistently across the institution.” TS 10:52 

“Once the patient shows signs and symptoms of neurotoxicity, they should have a comprehensive neurologic examine, and that should include, a neurology consult, maybe imaging, such as an MRI or CT, and perhaps even a lumbar puncture.” TS 14:12 

“Letting patients and their families know what next steps are can alleviate anxiety and give the patients the confidence that the medical team is familiar with these toxicities. And let them know that these toxicities are expected and that there are protocols in place to manage these symptoms.” TS 22:56 

“I think that some patients, and even healthcare professionals, who aren’t familiar with CAR T believe that the toxicities are always severe and always irreversible. When, in reality, most of the toxicities are mild and managed with minimal intervention or even just supportive care.” TS 23:55  

“Early detection, consistent grading, vigilant monitoring, and standardized care plans are crucial to the success of any CAR T program and can also help reduce the risk of the severe adverse effects and hopefully improve outcomes for our patients.” TS 30:26 

“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 Klara Culmone, MSN, RN, OCN®, assistant nurse manager at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York, NY, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS®, oncology clinical specialist at ONS, during a discussion about oncology nurses’ and leaders’ responsibilities in a safety-focused reporting culture. You can earn free NCPD contact hours after listening to this episode and completing the evaluation linked below. This episode is part of a series on creating a culture of safety; the others are linked in the episode notes below.

Music Credit: “Fireflies and Stardust” by Kevin MacLeod

Licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0

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 creating a culture of reporting errors and safety issues.

 Episode Notes

• The NCPD activity for this episode has expired, but you can still earn NCPD through many other ONS Podcast episodes. Find a full list of opportunities. 
• Oncology Nursing Podcast Episode 246: Create a Culture of Safety: Fair and Just Culture
• ONS Voice resources:
  • Culture of safety topic tag
  • Licensure, Scope of Practice, and Reporting: Every Nurse’s Essential Responsibilities Under the Nightingale Pledge
• Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing article: Vaught's Single Story and Health Care's Culture of Safety
• ONS book: Scope and Standards of Oncology Nursing Practice
• ONS clinical practice resource: Recognize It; Report It
• The Joint Commission
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s Patient Safety Network

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

To find resources for creating an ONS Podcast Club in your chapter or nursing community, visit the ONS Podcast Library. 

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

Highlights From Today’s Episode

“A reporting culture is where people report their errors and near misses. Adverse events and near misses are common in health care; however, unfortunately, they are underreported.” Timestamp (TS) 01:36

“I think that nurses may hesitate because of fear of retaliation or getting in trouble. Even if that error was because of a system problem or it was an honest mistake, there’s still that fear. So, leaders in healthcare settings really need to create and promote a psychologically safe environment.” TS 03:23

“Oncology nurses are really positioned in a great place to participate in debriefs and root-cause analysis and share their expertise as appropriate to, perhaps, update current policies and procedures to prevent this from happening again.” TS 08:36

“We all have a role to play in identifying and reporting potential hazards. So, that could be a piece of equipment that needs maintenance or a slippery floor that needs attention. We can all prevent harm and keep our patients safe.” TS 17:16

“It is so important for all of us to foster a culture where all employees feel empowered to report and address concerns without fear of repercussions.” TS 19:14