December 2008 / Volume 3, Number 4
NYC 2008 Chapter Board
Executive Board of Directors:
President-Elizabeth Rodriguez
President-Elect-Terri Yannaco
Secretary-Denise O’Dea
Treasurer-Mary Schoen
Treasurer-Elect-Susan Moore
Director At Large-Nancy Houlihan
Past President-Mary Pilossoph
2008 Committee Chairpersons:
Membership Committee Chair-
Terri Yannaco
Nominating Committee-Karen DeVries
Program Committee Chair-
Kristin Cawley, Denise O’Rourke
Newsletter Editor-Mary Schumann
Virtual Community Administrator-
Sarah Jones
Contact the Board:
ONS National Updates
Awards, Grants, and Scholarships
For those of you interested in oncology nursing certification in 2008, here is a link to apply for a scholarship to pay for the exam.
http://www.oncc.org/awards/scofield.shtml
ONS 10th National Conference on Cancer Nursing Research-February 12th-14th 2009
Registration Now Open for ONS 10th National Conference on Cancer Nursing Research, February 12-14 in Orlando, FL. If you have some late-breaking research to share, now is your chance as the ONS is accepting abstracts for the conferences Late-Breaking Research session. Please log onto the following website in order to submit your abstract http://ons.org/meetings/research09/
2009 ONS Congress Abstract Submission Deadline-January 13th 2009
Submit Your 2009 Congress Abstract Today as the 2009 Congress Planning Team wants to hear from you!Submit your innovative, cutting-edge abstract for the ONS 34th Annual Congress, April 30 – May 3, 2009, in San Antonio, TX, now. Submit your abstract by Tuesday, January 13, 2009, by 5pm EST. If your abstract is accepted, you will be notified no later than March 2.
http://onsopcontent.ons.org/Meetings/
Abstracts/abstractsubmission/
New Resources Available from ONS National!
Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist Competencies
This document outlines specialty entry-level competencies for Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs) who care for adult and late adolescent patients throughout the continuum of cancer care.
http://www.ons.org/clinical/professional/
QualityCancer/documents/cnscomps.pdf
New! The Advanced Oncology Nursing Certification Review and Resource Manual can be used as both a study guide for advanced oncology nursing certification and a clinical resource. Order now and save on a special introductory discount offer!
New! The new edition of the ONS Career Resource Guide: Marketing Yourself for Success will help you navigate your career path in these challenging times.
Save on these books when you order your copy today! http://esource.ons.org/Publications/
Regional Conferences
Free continuing education dinner program, January 29th 6:30 pm-8:30pm
Taxane Adverse Events
Salt Creek Grille, Princeton, NJ
Register at www.jhasin.com/taxane
Breast Care Certified Nurse: A New Credential
By: Marcelle Kaplan, RN, MS, AOCN®
The Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC) has recently developed its first subspecialty certification credential - that of Certified Breast Care Nurse (CBCN®). Creating a certification examination is a systematic scientific process led by test development professionals and I was privileged to have been involved from project inception to completion. Developing a certification examination begins with the identification of content experts who work collaboratively to define the roles and responsibilities of a nurse who practices in a particular specialty area at a level of competency.
To initiate the CBCN® certification process, a small advisory group of breast care nurse experts was invited to meet at the ONCC in Pittsburgh to conduct a Breast Care Role Delineation Study (also known as a job analysis). Our charge was to define the roles and responsibilities of a breast care nurse and then develop a detailed list of pertinent task and knowledge statements deemed necessary to practice as a CBCN® at a level of competency. Next, additional breast care nurses, contributing diversity in practice settings, geographic locations, years of experience, educational levels, and ethnicities, came together in a CBCN® Task Force, which was tasked with establishing the test specifications and content outline (the test blueprint) for this new certification examination.
Following the creation of the CBCN® Test Blueprint, an Item Writing Committee was formed to write psychometrically sound, evidence-based test questions that conformed to each category of the blueprint. The final step in the development cycle of the CBCN® examination was the formation of a Passing Score Committee which met in Pittsburgh for two days to analyze each test question and arrive at the passing score for the examination. Twelve Committee members were “specially selected by ONCC to offer a representative mix of the CBCN® candidate population”. Our initial critical task was to define the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) that a minimally competent CBCN® candidate would be expected to possess. Based on this working definition, each exam question was reviewed regarding its difficulty for this candidate and a passing score was recommended for the CBCN® exam. Now that this lengthy and intensive test development process is complete, the first CBCN® examination will be offered as a computer-based test beginning February 2009. Further information can be found at the ONCC website, http://www.oncc.org/getcertified/
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Message from the President
As the year comes to an end, I thought it appropriate to reflect upon just a few of our accomplishments in 2008:· Consistent with the 2008 Strategic Plan, the Membership Committee worked diligently towards several goals. Our first ever membership satisfaction survey revealed overwhelmingly high satisfaction with current operations from our members. However, opportunities for improvement related to networking and diversity continue to be addressed. We have laid the groundwork for an Ambassador program, as well as established a “New Member Welcome” letter. Nametags are a new feature at all of our dinner programs.
· We held seven dinner programs that covered a variety of topics ranging from renal cancer to chemo extravasations.
· We published FOUR chapter newsletters (one in each quarter of the year)!
· Under the leadership of Sarah Jones, we have completed a robust revamping of the chapter’s Virtual Community (http://newyorkcity.vc.ons.org/). The site houses an archival system for all chapter documents including (but no limited to) Board Meeting minutes, Programming information and Treasury reports. The communication of all chapter announcements occurs through the Virtual Community.
· Our fundraising efforts have continued this year with consistent participation of the members in our 50/50 raffle drawings at each chapter program. The job postings on the Virtual Community supports a new source of fundraising that we anticipate will grow in 2009.
· We have the opportunity to automate chapter financing (e.g. Fundraising and membership dues) in 2009 since the establishment of a PayPal account that is linked to the Virtual Community.
· The 2nd Shelley Schuster Memorial Scholarship was awarded to a NYC area oncology nurse (Rose Ann Caruso, RN from Smithtown NY) in support of her attendance at the 2008 Leadership Development Institute.
· Plans are well underway for our 25th Anniversary celebration on January 27, 2009 at the Penn Club, NYC.
As President of the New York City Chapter of ONS, I look back at this year with a sense of gratitude. The opportunity to learn more about our chapter and serve the membership provided me with many memorable experiences. I am honored to know all of you. I am particularly impressed by the energy of each of our Board members and their commitment to the Chapter. Their work keeps us moving forward. I look forward to continued involvement and many exciting milestones in 2009!
Elizabeth Rodriguez, MA, RN, OCN®
Program Updates…
October 22nd: Lisa Schulmeister, RN, MA, APRN-BC, OCN®, FAAN presented on a topic of great interest to many oncology nurses, “Vesicant Extravasation Prevention, Detection, and Management”. As an expert in the field, Lisa shared her experiences with extravasation as well as some compelling visuals.Save the date: January 29th 2009 6-8 PM NYC ONS Chapters 25th Anniversary Program. Please visit our website @ http://www.newyorkcity.vc.ons.org
Chapter Election Results
I am pleased to announce the winners of this year’s election:
PRESIDENT ELECT: Sarah Jones
SECRETARY: Mary Pilossoph
DIRECTOR AT LARGE: Nancy Houlihan
TREASURER-ELECT: Melissa Bonello
Please join me in congratulating the winners and thanking the people who ran for office as well as those of you who took the time to vote.
Sincerely,
Karen deVries, Nominating Committee
ONS Connect Blog
By: Jeanine Gordon, RN, MSN, OCN®
I just wanted to let everyone know that I am a contributor for the new ONS Connect Blog. Please check it out and blog with me, my other contributors and other oncology nurses around the world.
http://reconnect.typepad.com/
I look forward to blogging with you all,
Jeanine
NYC ONS Chapter Membership Committee Update
The NYC Chapter Membership Committee would like to remind all members that it is time for you to renew your membership for 2009. Please send your checks in the amount of $25.00 to Terri Yannaco, 345 Bronx River Road, Yonkers, New York 10704. As a reminder, you are required to be a member in good standing in the National Oncology Nursing Society. Please be sure to include your national membership number on the NYC ONS chapter renewal form included in the newsletter. We ask that all members please renew your membership as soon as possible. If you do not renew your 2009 NYC ONS chapter membership dues for 2009 by March 30th 2009, you will be dropped from our electronic mailing list and you will not continue to receive chapter news and invitations to our 2009 programs.
Gone…but not forgotten.
On November 18, 2008, long time chapter member and former Membership Chair, Mary “Geri” Boyle, RN, OCN®, passed away after a brief battle with cancer. Originally from County Cavan, Ireland, Geri attended the Whipps Cross Hospital School of Nursing in London, England before coming to the United States in 1989 to work. A long time employee of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, her area of expertise was in caring for patients with bladder cancer. She attained many professional accomplishments including podium presentations at both ONS and ASCO, and was actively involved in the New York City ONS Chapter.
Geri was widely respected by her colleagues for her clinical knowledge and compassion toward others. In 2003, she received the Samuel and May Rudin Award for Excellence in Nursing Practice after being nominated by her co-workers. Her compassion reached beyond the clinical setting as Geri was actively involved internationally with Habitat for Humanity, travelling to Brazil, Portugal, and Romania to help build homes for those in need. In addition, for 5 years she served as the Chairperson for the Irish Volunteers for the Homeless at the Aisling Irish Community Center in Yonkers, New York. A friend of hers wrote “I always joked with her about her being a martyr – the oncology nurse who took care of very ill patients by day, fed the homeless at night, and used her vacation time to build homes for Habitat for Humanity. That was Geri.” Her compassion enriched the lives of not only family and friends, but knew no boundaries.The eldest of 6 children, Geri is survived by her parents, siblings, and extended family. Donations, if desired, may be made to the “Geri & ME” Fund for Nursing Research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, or to the Bailieborough Cancer Society, Bailieborough, Ireland.