R H O D E I S L A N D & S E
M A S S A C H U S E T T S C H A P T E R the
www.risemchapter.org
risemchapter@gmail.com
The vision of the Oncology
Nursing Society is to lead the transformation of cancer care.
The mission of the Oncology
Nursing Society is to promote excellence in oncology nursing and quality cancer care.
Spring Seminar
2015 Board Members
Legislative Liaison Update
President’s Corner
Spring Seminar Brochure (p 1)
Spring Seminar Brochure (p 2)
Virtual Community Website and
Chapter Board Meeting schedule
RI & SE Massachusetts Oncology Nursing
Society Spring Conference
Cancer & Gender Variations
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Crowne Plaza, Warwick, RI
Looking forward to all who plan to attend.
Any questions please feel free to contact any of the committee members. Chair:
Mary Ellen Danzer - TMH, Regina Donald –
RIH, Danielle Hartley – TMH, Jeanne
Maloney – Southcoast, Carolyn Marsland –
TMH, Katie Simmons – Elmhurst, Ellen
Therrien - TMH.
Those who pay by PayPal please be sure to mail or e-mail your registration - mdanzer@lifespan.org
or mail as directed on Conference Flyer.
Conference Flyer included in newsletter.

ONS CHAPTER NEWSLETTER MARCH 2015
There are many benefits offered to members of our local chapters. Listed below are the benefits and opportunities associated with membership to RI &
S.E. Massachusetts Chapter.
President
Leah Arsenault, RN, BSN, OCN larsenault@schospital.com
President Elect
Katie Simmons, RN, MSN, OCN catcsimmons@comcast.net
Secretary
Jeanne Maloney, RN, OCN maloneyj@southcoast.org
Treasurer
Mary Ellen Danzer mdanzer@lifespan.org
Membership
Anne Gallagher
Francis_gallagher@comcast.net
Directors-at-Large
Regina Donald rdonald@lifespan.org
Christine Delisle
Cmdnature123@gmail.com
Legislative Liaison
Pat Spencer-Cisek pcisek@celgene.com
 Debra Cundy Educational Award This award is given once a year for up to $500 to chapter members to use towards ONS Congress, the fall
Institute of Learning, a CEU program or tuition for a class required for a Nursing degrees
 Travel Scholarship This scholarship is available once a year for up to $500 and is used to help travel expenses for an oncology related event.
Every member is eligible each year.
 OCN Reimbursement If you do not have reimbursement for your OCN® certification fee through your employer, the chapter will reimburse you after successful certification or recertification.
 Phoebe Fernald Scholarship This scholarship has been established to provide funding to nurses attending the Annual ONS Congress held each spring. This is awarded at the Annual Christmas
Party/Business Meeting.
 Education Stipend Award Members are eligible for up to $250 for attending an oncology educational program. Members receiving the stipend must be willing to share content of their educational opportunity with the membership through an article or oral presentation.
Excerpts from Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
“Being mortal is about the struggle to cope with the constraints of our biology, with the limits set by genes and cells and flesh and bone.”
The “theory (of life), is to give people the best possible day, however they might define it under the circumstances.”
“Our ultimate goal, after all, is not a good death but a good life to the very end.”
2

ONS CHAPTER NEWSLETTER MARCH 2015
NEW
As the 1 st session of the 114 th Congress gets underway, the Oncology Nursing Society
Board of Directors and other nursing leaders have prepared to address nursing and healthcare issues with our elected officials. The ONS Board approved and published our
2015 ONS Health Policy Agenda focusing on three key issues to:
 Promote and improve cancer symptom management and palliative care;
 Advance and ensure access to quality cancer prevention and care; and
 Bolster the nation’s nursing workforce to safeguard public health.
Details are available on the ONS website legislative page and a recent issue of ONS
Connect.
While ONS has a particular interest in cancer related issues, the importance and power of joining with nursing’s collective voice to impact on broad healthcare concerns is also important. ONS is a member of the Nursing Community, a coalition of 61 national professional nursing organizations representing nearly one million practicing nurses, nurse executives, nursing students, faculty and researchers
( www.thenursingcommunity.org
). The Nursing Community member organizations reach consensus on broad health related issues and work with a collective voice.
On January 29 th I had the opportunity to participate in a webinar sponsored by The
Nursing Community that provided a foundation for health policy advocacy in 2015.
The specific target areas for 2015 will be refined once the President’s Budget proposal has been detailed. The three main focus issues for the Nursing Community are:
1) Healthcare reform to improve quality, reduces cost, and increase access.
2) Federal funding for nursing education, practice, and retention.
3) Federal legislation that improves and advances nursing practice, education, and research.
ONS will have five members attending the Nurse In Washington Internship program in
Washington DC in mid-March. There will be educational sessions and the program caps off with visits to both Senators and Congressional Representatives by the attendees.
Communication during these visits will focus on “Asks” that impact broad nursing and patient related issues as identified by the Nursing Community. The next Legislative
Update will share more information from the NIWI program.
Respectfully Submitted,
Pat Spencer-Cisek MS, ANP-BC, AOCN
Note: Pat has kindly offered to keep our chapter aware of what is happening in the political world. She will be offering us articles as legislative issues arise.
If any of our chapter members are ever interested in applying for the Nurse in
Washington Internship. Watch the ONS website and the Board will most assuredly support you!
3

ONS CHAPTER NEWSLETTER MARCH 2015
Kelly A Turner in Radical Remission: Surviving Cancer Against All Odds writes: “Our health-and indeed our entire lives-can be seen as the sum of all our moment-to-moment decisions. This includes how we choose to eat and drink, think and feel, act and react, and move and rest on any given day.”
In oncology we are more than aware how reaction to a seemingly unkind word or loss of hope can change a patient’s day or worse, perspective. We also teach/preach about excellent nutrition, hydrating well, exercising daily, and getting adequate, quality rest because it can make all the difference in the world. We are also aware that how a patient or family reacts to poorer news or if they react in a negative way, well this can change how their course may go…
As nurses, we are fully conscious that even the smallest things can affect a patient. A kind word vs. a curt word, a moment of listening vs. the ‘too busy’ wave, the hug for a family member vs. only acknowledging the patient that day. Although nursing is chemo and documenting and assessments and calls to insurance companies and gtube care and teaching, it really is true that often it is not what we are saying or doing but how we are actually making the patient feel.
So as we, oncology nurses, move forward this month, let us remember to care for ourselves. Choose well. Eat more fresh vegetables, drink more tea, eat less sugar, eat more fruit, use less words and more action, be more giving, sleep more, worry less, walk more and laugh more. Here’s to your good health. Make good decisions. And thank you for all the ‘little things’ you do!
Leah Arsenault
President
RI & SE MA Chapter
The Chapter is planning some exceptional education dinners this year. We have a
Survivorship and Difficult Conversations in the works for April, Medical Marijuana talk on
May 7 th and an Immuno-Oncology dinner in June. As dates and times are firmed up, look for announcements through our Chapter’s Virtual Community.
4

ONS CHAPTER NEWSLETTER
MARCH 2015
5

ONS CHAPTER NEWSLETTER
MARCH 2015
6

ONS CHAPTER NEWSLETTER
MARCH 2015
or you can find the chapter on the chapter map at www2.ons.org/Membership/Chapters/Directory
The virtual community (VC) link is listed under your chapter’s name. Once you are on the site, click the Log In button in the upper right-hand corner. You will be prompted to enter your user name and password. Please make sure that you are using your username to log in. If you never created a username with ONS, then you should enter your email address. We recommend that you bookmark your chapter’s VC for easy access later.
2014
⌘ ⌘ ⌘
⌘ ⌘ ⌘
Call 401-282-9139 with any questions