Exploring Oncology Practice
Oncology nurses are tasked with understanding all aspects of the oncology field and applying their knowledge to everyday practice. We live in a time when, fortunately, information is readily available, though sometimes, in abundance. Certifications are one of many ways to fulfill the lifelong learning requirements of many healthcare professions. The Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC), founded by the distinguished ONS in 1984, provides opportunity for various certifications, and continuing education opportunities with the goal of enhancing specialized oncology knowledge to improve patient outcomes.
More Information from ONCC:
Why get certified? Click here for ONCC fast fact sheet
2020 ONQ Improvement Series Education Track/Topics
To meet oncology education needs, the tracks offered on the CME Activities link will include the following courses:
The Roles of Oncology Nurses in Next-generation Approaches to the Management of Advanced HER2-positive Breast Cancer
Learning Objectives:
- Identify the mechanisms underlying resistance to monoclonal antibodies currently approved as for first-line treatment of advanced HER2-positive breast cancer
- Discuss next-generation second-line approaches to the treatment of advanced HER2-positive breast cancer including antibody–drug conjugate technology
- Describe the mechanisms of action and clinical profiles of approved and emerging antibody–drug conjugates used to treat advanced HER2-positive breast cancer in the second-line setting
- Review the various roles for oncology nurses in the management of patients with advanced HER2-positive breast cancer who are treated or eligible for treatment with antibody–drug conjugates
Updates for Oncology Nurses—Optimizing the Paradigm Shift Driven by CDK 4/6 Inhibitors in Metastatic HR-Positive, HER2-Negative Breast Cancer
Learning Objectives:
- Identify the patient who will benefit from CDK 4/6 inhibitor therapy with consideration of patient and disease characteristics and appropriately time its use in the course of the disease
- Recognize commonly associated toxicities of CDK4/6 inhibition, and apply strategies for both the monitoring and management of adverse events associated with their use in patients with metastatic breast cancer
- Utilize methodologies to activate all members of the healthcare team, encourage collaboration, and incorporate shared-decision-making and survivorship tools to assist in optimizing patient outcomes and management of adverse events
- Review the various roles for oncology nurses in the management of patients with breast cancer
Optimizing Treatment with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: The Collaborative Care of Patients with Triple Negative Breast Cancer
Learning Objectives:
- Explain the complementary mechanisms found with the combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy agents in the treatment of TNBC
- Apply evidence-based data derived from clinical trials to optimize combination regimens for the treatment of patients with metastatic TNBC
- Describe patient-centered shared decision making approaches intended to optimize oncology care in patients with TNBC
- Discuss the roles that oncology nurses can play in the management of patients with metastatic TNBC who are treated or eligible for treatment with immunotherapy
Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: The Oncology Nurse’s Role in the Monitoring and Early Intervention of Immune-related Adverse Events
Learning Objectives:
- Review the mechanism of action and clinical profiles of available and emerging immunotherapies used alone or in combination across lines of therapy in multiple tumor types
- Describe the side effects and toxicities associated with available immunotherapeutic options for the treatment of patients with various types of cancer and strategies to manage them in clinical practice
- Summarize best practices for the use of biomarker testing in clinical practice to guide treatment making decisions regarding cancer immunotherapies including the potential for response to therapy and the occurrence of irAEs
- Discuss current recommendations and emerging evidence regarding the use of immunotherapies for patients with cander during the COVID-19 pandemic including the management of irAEs and the utility of telemedicine
- Describe the fundamentals of patient-centered SDM approaches and their utility in optimizing patient care in clinical practice
- Explain the various roles for oncology nurses in the management of patients who are treated or eligible for treatment with immunotherapy
