Dear Navigators,
Welcome to this issue of Journal of Oncology Navigation & Survivorship (JONS), the official publication of the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators. Navigating patients is much more than planning the logistics of appointments and transportation for our patients; it is an imperative service that engages and empowers patients throughout the cancer care continuum. From community outreach to education and survivorship, navigation can successfully impact the course of treatment for patients today.
We intend to provide our readership with the information that will empower navigators to execute their jobs at the highest level possible. To achieve this goal, we are working on providing 2 types of credentials for navigators; one for lay navigators, the other for nurse navigators. Our task force is creating a series of learning guides to prepare those interested in obtaining the credential. In this issue, we offer 2 guides: “Overview of Professional Roles and Responsibilities” by Sharon Gentry, and “Overview of End of Life” written by me. The first credential test will be offered this November at our annual meeting in Las Vegas.
In our effort to bring you important information from the oncology community at large, you will read in the Interview with the Innovators segment our exchange with Douglas R. Lowy, MD, of the National Cancer Institute. We had the pleasure of speaking with Dr Lowy about the NCI-MATCH trial and how Vice President Biden’s Moonshot program will help expand work in this critical area of cancer research.
As always, we bring you the latest in navigation research. We are pleased to feature an article by Cheryl Bellomo entitled “Oral Chemotherapy: Patient Education and Nursing Intervention.”
On behalf of the entire editorial board, thank you for being part of our JONS reading community.
Sincerely,
Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS
Editor-in-Chief
University Distinguished Service Associate Professor of Breast Cancer, Depts of Surgery and Oncology; Administrative Director, The Johns Hopkins Breast Center; Director, Cancer Survivorship Programs at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins; Associate Professor, JHU School of Medicine, Depts of Surgery, Oncology & Gynecology and Obstetrics;
Associate Professor, JHU School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
