Happy New Year! As 2014 comes to a close and we march into 2015, it is only fitting to hope that you and your family have a happy and healthy new year.
This issue of the Journal of Oncology Navigation & Survivorship (JONS) provides new insights into several important and key issues that many of you and your managers have brought up: the infamous goal of how you can demonstrate through evidence-based research that navigation has a positive impact on cancer care. Well, this issue provides some answers to that chronically asked question.
You will read about a literature review that was conducted, abstracting from a series of published work the positive impact that navigating cancer patients has demonstrated on the continuity of care and satisfaction of patients during their experiences with cancer. There also is an interesting article that provides information about navigation through relationship-based care and a professional practice model. This might be something you want to explore more for you and your institution.
Also, we know the value of continuous learning and knowledge sharing among peers. Read about how one clinic developed a process to ensure that its nursing team was provided ongoing learning opportunities as well as the chance to share knowledge between its seasoned staff and newly hired nurses.
Finally, you will read the synopsis of interviews with oncology specialists that addresses the new and upcoming era of molecular medicine. We may finally be moving toward this type of biology to match treatments with specific genomes and prognostic factors of a tumor with the hope that we can move away from the traditional poison, slash-and-burn methods of treatment we have needed to utilize for centuries. Fifty years from now scientists will read about the treatments that were provided to cancer patients in 2014 and shake their head that we had to rely on some “primitive” methods. (I also hope that cancer will be listed by then where polio is now in medical books: in the chapter entitled “Cured Diseases.”)
I am confident you will agree with me that this issue provides great content that you can share with others at your workplace and consider applying some of these concepts and ideas yourselves.
With kind regards,
Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS
Editor-in-Chief
