Get to know Darcy Burbage, DNP, RN, AOCN®, CBCN®, ONS director-at-large from 2020–2023 an oncology clinical nurse specialist from Newark, DE.
On January 22, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved nivolumab (Opdivo®) in combination with cabozantinib (Cabometyx®) as first-line treatment for patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma.
Interviewing for a job is often described as a highly stressful life event. When they’re virtual, job interviews have become even more stressful and challenging. How can you conduct a successful job interview virtually? How can both sides get to know each other without meeting in person? How do virtual job interviews differ from in-person ones?
“The first 100 days,” a phrase coined by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1933, is an opportunity for a new administration to outline its early accomplishments and set a tone of reassurance. Under that philosophy, the Biden-Harrison transition team issued a series of announcements and nominations beginning in November 2020 to set a tenor and provide insight on the first phase of the new presidency.
“Nursing is at the forefront of symptom management, and nurse-designed interventions lead the way,” Gwen Wyatt, RN, PhD, FAAN, FAPOS, recipient of the 2020 ONS Distinguished Nurse Researcher Award, said in a session at the inaugural ONS BridgeTM virtual conference in September 2020. She shared lessons from her career journey and told nurses that ONS can help them get their ideas “off the drawing board.”
Three years ago, Tony, a 42-year-old man, began FOLFOX chemotherapy treatment for stage III colon cancer and achieved a complete response. Two years later, a biopsy of an intraabdominal lesion uncovered metastatic disease, and he was prescribed the epidermal growth factor inhibitor (EGFRi) cetuximab. Alex, the oncology nurse educating Tony on the side effects of EGFRi therapy, understands that skin toxicities are common with the class of drugs and looks for national guidelines for prevention and management direction.
On January 15, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki (Enhertu®) for adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic HER2-positive gastric or gastroesophageal (GEJ) adenocarcinoma who have received a prior trastuzumab-based regimen.
Cancer care is always changing, new science is constantly developing, and oncology nurses must work to keep up. ONS’s philosophy is that every nurse has room to develop knowledge, practice, and research. As an organization, we embody a commitment to lifelong learning and professional development because we understand that both are crucial to oncology nursing and patient outcomes.
Imagery is a mind-body practice with deep historical roots. It uses imagination to recreate mental images, sounds, smells and even tastes to help achieve relaxation and to promote healing. Guided imagery can be learned in an interactive manner from a licensed practitioner or from books and self-help tapes. Repeating the practice results in a conditioning effect that can empower the individual to use it whenever needed.
On January 14, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved crizotinib (Xalkori®) for pediatric patients aged one year or older and young adults with relapsed or refractory, systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) that is anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) positive. The safety and efficacy of crizotinib have not been established in older adults with relapsed or refractory, systemic ALK-positive ALCL.