Article

Chapter Hosts Workshops for Students
Andrea Wagner, RN, OCN^®
President, Sierra Nevada Chapter of ONS

In fall 2002, the Sierra Nevada Chapter of ONS explored ways to help alleviate the nursing shortage, particularly in the oncology nursing field. After weeks of brainstorming, we came up with the idea of a daylong workshop as an introduction to oncology nursing. This program would be open to all nurses in the community but would be geared primarily to nursing students. Students who had completed their clinical rotations believed that the workshop would be beneficial to new nurses deciding which field of nursing to specialize in. The Sierra Nevada Chapter had never heard of anyone doing this sort of workshop and was eager to give it a try.

Chapter members exchange information with nursing students at their first annual program.

We chose the first Saturday in March to make the workshop an invitation to spring. We were going to call it a Spring Fling, but came up with the moniker of “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Oncology Nursing But Were Afraid to Ask.” We believed that this new title clearly spelled out what participants would get from the workshop.

In March 2003, the first annual program was held at the Nugget in Sparks, NV. Students from the University of Nevada and Truckee Meadows in Reno, Lassen Community College in Susanville, and California and Western Nevada Community College in Carson City nursing programs were the invited guests. Approximately 80 students and 12 of their instructors attended. Parish nurses, a hospice nurse, and a radiation nurse were featured speakers, and one person spoke about keeping the humor in nursing. Each of the presenters was asked to speak about nursing but in a manner in keeping with the oncology theme of the workshop. Peter Lim, MD, a gynecologic oncology surgeon, was scheduled to speak about the importance of nurse-physician collaboration, but, unfortunately, he was called out to perform an emergency surgery. Several nurses attending the workshop stepped up to the plate and spoke to the students about all of the fields of nursing. The most special part of the day occurred during the last hour when cancer survivors addressed students about the impact of nurses during their individual cancer journeys.

The second annual program was held in March at the Peppermill in Reno, NV. More than 100 students and 15 instructors enjoyed a day of speakers from United Blood Services, local hospitals, and infusion centers, as well as other students, who spoke about why they chose oncology nursing. John Tomicic, MD, an oncology surgeon, spoke about nurse-physician collaboration and involved many of the students in role playing, getting them to understand the “real world” of nurse-physician communication. Patients with cancer and their families closed out the workshop with their perspectives on oncology nurses during their cancer journeys.

We hope to continue to offer such programs to nursing students in the future, in hopes that they choose oncology and ONS as their preferred professional nursing association.