The Professional Home for Oncology Nurses

SAN ANTONIO, TX—During its 51st Annual ONS Congress, the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) honored 14 individuals and organizations for their exceptional contributions to oncology nursing with its 2026 ONS awards.

Leadership on the national ONS Board begins with intentional preparation and a willingness to serve. If you’re attending ONS Congress^®, consider this your invitation to connect with LDC members to explore your readiness for service on the national ONS Board of Directors. 

Mean anxiety scores decrease by five points and mean heart rates also decrease over the course of a starlight therapy session, researchers reported from a study of patients with breast cancer receiving their first cancer treatment cycle. The study results, published in the February 2026 issue of the Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, show that the integrative, noninvasive intervention has potential to relieve stress for patients with cancer.

Ototoxicity is a broad term for exposure to an agent that damages the inner ear, leading to hearing loss or balance issues. It is an underrecognized side effect of cancer treatment because its manifestations can be subtle at first, but progression can lead to serious quality-of-life issues for patients. ONS member Jennessa Rooker, PhD, RN, OCN^®, director of nursing excellence at the Tampa General Hospital Cancer Institute in Florida, studied ototoxicity in patients with cancer as part of her PhD dissertation. She explained how oncology nurses can monitor for and address ototoxicity in the cancer setting.

The news came three weeks shy of my 26th anniversary at the institution. 

I had begun working there straight out of nursing school. It was where I grew up professionally and where I devoted my time, energy, and loyalty. I never envisioned myself working anywhere else, and I truly believed I would start and end my career there. Then, the thing I never thought would happen to me did. 

Almost half of patients with cancer have weak handgrip strength (HGS), which is highly associated with mild to moderate functional limitations and moderate to low quality of life, researchers reported in the January 2026 issue of the Oncology Nursing Forum. The study, conducted in Nigeria, demonstrates that HGS may be an easily measured indicator of functional decline and need for referral to rehabilitation. Oncology nurses are in an ideal position to measure HGS and discover early signs of decline in patients.