What is the Oncology Nursing Society?

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The Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) is a non-profit membership organization of nurses and other health care professionals that provide patient care, education, research and administration to cancer patients and their families. The ONS is supported by the American Nurses Association, and the American Cancer Society.

The members are made up of a variety of professionals and roles, practice settings and subspecialty practice areas. Their people are registered nurses, including staff nurses, advance practice nurses, case managers, educators, researchers, consultants and other healthcare professionals.

The Oncology Nursing Society provides information and education to nurses around the world and plays a role in advocacy at local, state, national and international levels. They are also an accredited provider by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission in continuing education.

Continued Education from the Oncology Nursing Society

The Oncology Nurses Society offers both online and in-person education for oncology, so members can stay current on the latest cancer treatments and symptom management methods and techniques. All the members of the ONS work together to improve quality of life and outcomes for cancer patients and their families by reducing risks, incidence and burden of cancer by promoting healthy lifestyles, early detection, improving management of cancer symptoms and side effects throughout the disease trajectory.

On the Oncology Nurses Society website, there are books, education resource forums, red flag information, administration resources and safety standards that can be researched online at anytime of the day or night. Also, provided are conferences where all the people can come together and cross-reference with each other, and further their knowledge and education on subjects such as pharmacology and palliative care and get information on the latest treatments, technology and possible breakthroughs.

There is also a chemotherapy certification course where a nurse or healthcare professional can become certified in the latest chemotherapy technology and treatments that are available, possible side effects and methods.

Many people have had a relative scare of cancer, so they can relate firsthand to the pain. Some may have been the caretaker of a cancer patient. Cancer has no boundaries and will strike anyone at any age, including pets, children and otherwise healthy people. It is an ugly disease and can be extremely aggressive and painful.

The research that the American Cancer Society and medical teams have done over many years has made some exceptional progress and breakthroughs in destroying or at least slow down cancer cells in hopes of extending our lives and those we love. Billions have been spent on finding cures of not only cancer, but also other diseases. It can be very slow in progression and hit truly hard and fast. People who have never smoked can get lung cancer, but there are other diseases that can attack that act just like cancer such as C.O.P.D. or mesothelioma.

Working with asbestos can cause cancer and there are cancer-causing agents all around society. Continuing to fund facilities, and advance in technology, will help our population fight this disease. You too can be a part of the fight by learning more about oncology.