ONCOLOGY NURSING SOCIETY
NURSE PRACTITIONER (NP) SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP MEETING
APPROVED MINUTES
DATE:
PLACE:
TIME:
RECORDER:
Friday, May 16, 2008
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Room 109-AB
2:30 PM (EST) – 4 PM (EST)
ATTENDEES: (List of attendees attached)
I.
Welcome and Introductions
NP SIG members and guests were welcomed to the 2008 ONS Congress NP SIG meeting. The
theme “Now is the time to be heard! Be there…Be the NP SIG” was introduced. As the meeting
progresses it is hoped that NP SIG members will consider how they can enhance their involvement
with the NP SIG and/or National ONS.
The agenda was reviewed: NP SIG History; Strategic Plan; Recognition: ONS BOD; ONCC update;
Legislative Update: Newsletter; Virtual Community: Opportunities; Projects and Discussion.
II.
Approval of 2007 Minutes
A motion was made and seconded to approve the minutes form the 2007 ONS Congress NP SIG
meeting. The members were polled and approved the minutes. There were no revisions or
approval objections.
III.
NP SIG History
The NP SIG history was reviewed. Initially, the NP SIG was formed by 13 dedicated NPs, now there
are 1,356 NP SIG members. Previous NP SIG Coordinators were recognized: Rebecca Hawkins,
Karen Greco, Kathleen Murphy- Ende, Laura Stempkowski, Mary Pat Lynch, Terri Armstrong, Diane
Cope, and Wendy Vogel. The members applauded and thanked them for their leadership. The next
SIG Coordinator Christa Braun-Inglis, RN, MS, FNP, ONC® of Honolulu, Hawaii was introduced. NP
Braun-Inglis will serve as the NP SIG Coordinator from the end of Congress of 2009 until Congress
of 2011.
IV.
Mission Statement/Strategic Plan
The NP SIG mission statement, “The NP SIG is dedicated to promoting high standards and fostering
the professional development of oncology nurse practitioners in their role as advanced practice
nurses in oncology” was discussed.
The strategic plan: 1) to increase resources in order to ensure the continued growth and strength of
the NP SIG, and, ultimately, ONS; and 2) to develop products, services, opportunities, & knowledge
base that promotes excellence in advanced practice oncology nursing, were discussed. We intend to
identify members as resources for project teams, leadership teams, various ONS projects or other
collaborative opportunities.
V.
Awards
ONS Awards were presented to two NP SIG members who chose to receive their awards at the NP
SIG meetings. The ONS Excellence in Medical Oncology Award was awarded to Cynthia J.
Simonson, RN,MSN, AOCN®; and , the Oncology Nursing Health Policy and Advocacy Award was
awarded to Kimberly A. Rohan, MS, RN, AOCN ®.
They each received a plaque and $500 monetary award. Photographs were taken.
Other NP SIG members and ONS National Award winners who chose to receive their wards at other
SIGs include: Marilyn L. Haas, PhD, RN, CNS, ANP-C who was awarded the Mary Nowotny
Excellence in Cancer Nursing Education Award; and, Joanne L. Lester, MSN, RNC, CNP, AOCN®
was awarded the ONS Surgical Oncology Award.
All award winners were congratulated on their accomplishments.
VI.
ONCC Updates
Carlton G. Brown, PhD, APRN, AOCN®, ONCC President presented an overview of the AOCNP®
certification, reviewed regulations, and answered questions. Information from the ARPN Consensus
meeting will be posted to the ONCC website. More details are still needed as to where the DNP fits
into the new certification model. ONCC will be offering additional certifications, such as radiation and
breast cancer. Members are encouraged to keep their general or advanced oncology nursing
certification and add on a specialty certification. However, for the first sub-specialty certification for
breast cancer, nurses do not need to be oncology certified in order to sit for the exam.
Considerations are underway for prerequisites for future sub-specializations to be offered through
ONCC.
VII.
ONS Board Updates
Peg Esper, MSN, RN, APRN-BC, AOCN®, Director of ONS Board provided updates include that we
have representation on the Board for the APRN meeting. Multiple SIG membership provides
opportunities for involvement at higher levels. ASCO is working with ONS to develop a clinical
practice committee and developing training programs for NPs new to oncology.
There are opportunities for NP SIG members to have a leadership role within ONS through the
Steering Committee, SIG leadership, and other volunteer opportunities.
VIII. Legislative Updates
Legislative issues were presented by Wendy H. Vogel, MSN, FNP AOCNP®, the NP SIG’s
immediate past Coordinator. Under the mantra of “no complacency!” Wendy highlighted some APN
practice issues included: Retail medical clinics, AMA Resolution 706 (2007), AMA Scope of Practice
Initiative, Healthcare Truth and Transparency Act, and the need to expose and counter nurse doctoral
programs (NDP) misrepresentation.
Other topics covered included: 1) ASTRO advisement- ASTRO’s Clinical Practice Committee
recently advised that weekly treatment management codes (codes 77419, 77420, 77425, and 77430)
could not be billed unless carried out by a physician; 2) Limiting APN billing practices in many
radiation oncology clinics across the US; 3) FDA regulation of tobacco S. 625/H.R. 1108; 4)
Treatment Education Bill HR 5585; 5) CMS rule on ESAs HR Resolution 54 and S. Resolution 22;
and 6) Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) S. 358/ HR 493.
NP Vogel also shared an update on the DNP. AACN: by 2015, the DNP as entry level degree into
advanced nursing practice.1,874 DNP students currently (reported by AACN) up from 862 in 2006.
40,285 qualified applicants to bachelors and graduate nursing programs in 2007 were turned away in
part because of an insufficient number of faculty. More than 200 nursing schools have or plan to
establish DNP programs.
Regarding the Council for Advancement of Comprehensive Care, the National Board of Medical
Examiners has agreed to develop a voluntary DNP certification exam based on the same test
physicians take to qualify for medical license. The DNP exam will be narrower in scope than the
three-step exam that doctors take, including tests on organ systems and a range of medical
disciplines.
Wall Street Journal recently published an article called “Making Room for Dr. Nurse.” Dr. Mary
Mundinger: “two-year programs, including a one-year residency, create a "hybrid practitioner" with
more skills, knowledge and training than a nurse practitioner with a master's degree. Response from
AANP “DNP is a normal evolution of our discipline” and “masters-level NP programs have already
expanded to incorporate all of the necessary clinical content to the point that they are more
equivalent to a doctorate than a masters degree” “the AANP has extensive and comprehensive
research data regarding NPs and their practice”
In summary, NP Vogel urges all oncology APNs to join ONStat. Web resources are
http://www.ons.org/lac/onstat.shtml and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network:
www.acscan.org
As NP Vogel was the first APN Council leader, she shared that the goal of the SIG Council is to
incorporate the SIGs more with ONS through enhanced communication with the ONS Board. NP
Vogel reports that the SIG Council has already accomplished networking, recognition of the SIGs,
mentoring, and collaboration.
IX.
Newsletter
The NP SIG newsletter is coordinated through the efforts of Editor Annette W. Kuck, RN, MS, CNP,
AOCN®; and co-editor Megan Wholey, RN, MS, CNP, AOCN®. NP Wholey provided an overview of
the newsletter’s operation. Highlights include:
 Published three times a year

Posted online on March 3, July 2 & November 3

Copy due to NP SIG Co-Editors on January 11, May 14 and September 12

Content- usually contains: Coordinator’s Message; Editor’s Message; Clinical Update/Current
Topic; NP SIG News; ONS News; AANP News

Requirements: no more than 6 articles plus messages from coordinator & editor; and, an issue
must not exceed 4,000 words
NP SIG members are encouraged to provide submissions for the newsletter and to consider
volunteering for the editorial team.
The NP SIG’s Editors thanked the ONS Support for their help with the newsletter productions. The
ONS staff includes: Carol DeMarco, Membership/Leadership administrative assistant; Sharon
Padezanin, Copy editor; and Jenny Shinsky, Membership/Leadership specialist.
X.
Virtual Community
Jennifer Wulff, MN, ARNP, AOCNP®, our Virtual Community Coordinator was not able to join us for
the meeting. ONS staff member jenny Shinsky and NP SIG member NP Wulff prepared an
information sheet on the Virtual Community and a survey sheet designed to elicit information for
posting of NP SIG profiles to the virtual community. The handouts were distributed to members. The
completed profiles will be sent to NP Wulff.
XI.
Leadership Opportunities
Opportunities for NP SIG members to share their expertise with their colleagues were presented.
These opportunities include:
a. The 2008 ONS APN Conference- November 13-15; Seattle, WA- Abstract submission deadline
July 8
b. ONS 10th National Conference on Cancer Nursing Research- February 12-14, 2009; Orlando, FL
- Abstracts submission deadline June 10
The ONS Steering Council is accepting application until May 22, for a three year commitment. It is
estimated that Steering Council members volunteer about 13 days/ year.
The ONS Leadership Development Institute is accepting applications until June 3. The Institute will
be held in Atlanta, GA this year from October 23-26.
XII.
Mentoring and Leadership
NP SIG members are encouraged to join ONS’ formal mentoring program. In the past the NP SIG
had its own mentoring program. In many ways it provided the foundation for the organization-wide
mentoring program that we now use. Online enrollment is available at any time though
www.3creekmentoring.com/ONS . The following codes should be used: Mentee group code: 532398
and Mentor group code: 361812. Note that NP SIG members may choose to be both a mentor and
mentee depending on skills and knowledge. For example, you may be able to be a mentor for a new
oncology NP, and you desire mentoring to hone skills for an upcoming national presentation.
XIII. Project Update
Past projects of the NP SIG including: the “So you want to be an oncology NP?!” booklet; the
oncology NP brochure; and the APN conference were just a few of the projects were the NP SIG
made an impact.
NP SIG members were briefed on the development of several NP SIG projects including: “Ask
Catherine”; research study; update job description; and collaborate with AANP. N SIG members
were encouraged to volunteer to help on these projects and others. New project ideas were
encouraged.
XIV. Discussions
We discussed issues related to learning needs, and members shared their strategies for gaining
knowledge they need to stay current. 0.7 CEUs will be awarded for this meeting. In verbal and written
format, topics for future sessions, especially of interest to NPs were generated along with
suggestions for speakers. Many felt that ONS conferences did not provide enough advanced practice
content to meet their educational needs. It was shared with the group that it is an expectation that the
SIGs present several topics for consideration for upcoming conferences. SIG members were invited
to join in this process of selecting topics and developing them into an abstract. There are
opportunities for novices to be mentored in this valuable experience.
Brief discussion took place regarding the concept of an APN Council within ONS to focus on the
unique issues of the oncology APNs.
We discussed how the ONS Congress schedule provided challenges for the NPs as the SIG meeting
was scheduled at the same time as one of, if not the, most popular session for NPs. NP SIG
members were encouraged to volunteer for conference planning teams to ensure that scheduling
conflicts do not occur.
A brief overview of the Town Hall meeting was shared and members were encouraged to attend on
Saturday from 1230 to 1400 in room 114 of the Convention center.
Additional discussions occurred during NP Vogel’s legislative portion of the program as well as the
ONCC update. Questions were answered by the presenters directly during their presentation. The
presenters remained in the room after the meeting officially ended to discuss additional topics
individually with NP SIG members.
XV. Raffle
NP SIG members, who completed a brief survey regarding their willingness to volunteer for activities
and workgroup within the NP SIG, were included in a raffle. Multiple NP prizes donated by the NP
SIG Coordinator were awarded to the attendees.
XVI. Special Thanks
In conclusion, the work that is done for the NP SIG would not be possible without the tireless and
ever encouraging efforts of our colleagues at the ONS headquarters. The following ONS staff were
acknowledged for their dedication to furthering the success of the NP SIG: Angie Stengel, MS, CAE,
Director of Membership/Leadership; Diane Scheuring, MBA, CMP, Manager of Member Services;
and, Carol DeMarco, Membership/Leadership Administrative Assistant.
XVII.
Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned.
Attendees List for NP SIG Meeting
SIG Members
E-mail
Kristen Baileys
kbaileys@ons.org
Kim Bruhl
kimbruhl@yahoo.com
Elise Carper
ecarper@chpnet.org
Mike Casey
mikecasey11@comcast.net
Susan Coles
susan.m.coles@vanderbilt.edu
Diane Cope
dgcope@comcast.net
Sue Damico
damico_sue@guthrie.org
Peg Esper
pesper@umich.edu
Dinah Essilfie
dess8080@yahoo.com
Marilyn Haas
mlyhaas@worldnet.att.net
Hilda Haynes-Lewis haha227@yahoo.com *
Carol Josephs-Cowan carolctravelnnp@yahoo.com
Marilyn King
candmking@cox.net
Colleen Lee
leeco@mail.nih.gov *
Wylodean Lott
Jeanne Messana
jmessana@msn.net
Kimberly Rohan
kronan@edwara.org
Jeanie Rosiak
jeanie@wi.rr.com *
Marina Savoy
mander7202@aol.com
Lynn Scallion
lynn.scallion@duke.edu
Meredith Singer
mtsig@duke.edu
Anne Skwira-Brown askwinra-brown@smac.org
Quan Thai
blues4qt@yahoo.com
Sandra Urban-Lynch s.urban@cox.net
Janet Van Cleave
janethvc@earthlink.net
Mary Vecchio
mary.vecchio@embargmail.com
Wendy Vogel
wvoge.@charter.net *
Debbie Walker
dkirk2332@hotmail.com
Megan Wholey
Megan.Wholey@verizon.net
Not SIG Members
Carl Brown
Randy Sonoski
Beverly Szukis
Colleen Turrisi
Deborah Ward
Not ONS Members
Jill Seely
Sharon Woodhuff
Specialty
BMT
hem/oncology
radiation oncology
radiation oncology
surgical oncology NP
hem/oncology ARNP
hem/oncology
med oncology
BMT
Radiation
radiation oncology
GYN oncology
hem/oncology
oncology/primary care
med/oncology
ACNP-BC hem/oncology BMT
breast oncology
breast oncology
ANP breast oncology
hem/oncology
hem/oncology
NP hem/oncology
hem/oncology
community education/outreach
hem/oncology
oncology
carl@carltonbrown.org
randysonoski@dailchius.com
bcszukis@insignrbb.com
cmturrisi@verizon.net
debinpr@yahoo.com
ONCC Representative
jillseely@msn.com
WOCN/surgical telemetry oncology
med oncology
* Interested in being in a work group
med/oncology adult primary care
rad/oncology
hematology