For Annals of Palliative Medicine special series—Oncology Nursing※
When we were asked to serve as Guest Editors for a special series focused on Oncology Nursing, we eagerly accepted opportunity. Both of us had been involved in collaborations in many corners of the world with nurses who cared for cancer patients and we were in awe of the development in oncology nursing which had been unfolding, often despite real hardship and challenge. Nurses around the globe had been working diligently to ensure care for people at risk of cancer or with cancer and their caregivers was the best that it could be. The nurses often identified the need for improvement and with colleagues, were keen to action. Yet for many, barriers and seemingly insurmountable struggles were their daily reality.
As Guest Editors, we felt a special series focused on oncology nursing around the world would provide a picture of the reality. This allowed us the opportunity to connect with colleagues, who may not yet have had an opportunity to share their stories. Nonetheless, we thought it prudent to review developments in education, research, leadership, and advocacy, given these have been the main routes to growing the specialty. These papers may pave the way for nurses in various settings, determining how they might progress the recognition and growth of oncology nursing as a specialty in their own countries.
Thus, this special series gives insight into the perspectives of nurses who care for cancer patients in various regions of the world. Clearly, there are fundamental differences from setting to setting in economics, health beliefs, educational systems, and healthcare approaches. All of these factors influence how nurses are able to function and develop specialty practices in their ever-changing healthcare systems and circumstances. Undoubtedly, what strategies work in one setting may or may not be the ones to use in another setting. However, by sharing the approaches nurses around the globe have utilised, this special series offers a range of potential approaches.
What is common among the narratives within the articles is the perseverance and determination of nurses, making concerted efforts through the years to highlight the concerns of cancer patients and their families. Their successes are closely tied to access to education, engagement in research and evidence-based practice, and their capacity to participate in policy development. The creation and establishment of a professional organization for cancer nurses, in-country, regional and global, has been key to drawing nurses together and fostering networking, professional development, and a shared sense of purpose.
Colleagues who were invited to write for this special series expressed a desire to ensure the current status of oncology nursing was reflected. It has been several decades since the seeds of the speciality were planted and the growth has been remarkable. This is a testament to the vision and stamina of nurses working in adult and paediatric cancer care. Their efforts over the years have led to significant changes in care practices for patients and families as well as the evidence to support those practices. Symptom management, active listening, patient education, patient and caregiver support, patient empowerment, resilience, and leadership lie at the heart of compassionate nursing; all factors are evident throughout the special series.
We hope the special series will serve to describe the state of the oncology nursing specialty in 2023 whilst providing the vision to grow together throughout the globe.
Acknowledgments
Funding: None.
Footnote
Provenance and Peer Review: This article was commissioned by the Editorial Office, Annals of Palliative Medicine for the series “Oncology Nursing”. The article did not undergo external peer review.
Conflicts of Interest: Both authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://apm.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/apm-23-514/coif). The series “Oncology Nursing” was commissioned by the editorial office without any funding or sponsorship. M.I.F. and A.Y. served as the unpaid Guest Editors of the series. The authors have no other conflicts of interest to declare.
Ethical Statement: The authors are accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.
Open Access Statement: This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which permits the non-commercial replication and distribution of the article with the strict proviso that no changes or edits are made and the original work is properly cited (including links to both the formal publication through the relevant DOI and the license). See: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.
※Special series on Oncology Nursing.
