Oncology is an ever-evolving field. As oncology nurse and patient navigators, continuing education is important in so many ways. We must continue learning to stay abreast of new oncology treatments and strategies, to provide optimal care to our patients, and to share our professional development with our multidisciplinary care teams to establish trust and respect in our roles.
AONN+ is dedicated to providing oncology navigators the resources they need to confront the evolving landscape. Together, we deliver and/or coordinate multidisciplinary care, advocate on behalf of patients from diagnosis through survivorship, break down barriers that stand in the way of treatment, serve as trusted advisors and resources to patients, and develop and implement oncology program metrics.
The creation of the standardized national metrics to measure programmatic success is vital to coordinating high-quality, team-based care and demonstrating the sustainability of navigation programs. The AONN+ 2020 Navigation Metrics Toolkit was developed to help navigators, oncology program administrators, healthcare executives, and other clinicians who are linked to navigation understand and support the integration of these standardized metrics into their normal business process.
AONN+ has also created several additional initiatives to support the role of the navigator, including:
- The AONN+ Building Relationships in Delivering Genetic/Genomic Education (BRIDGE) Program - The BRIDGE Program uses educational interventions to best connect oncology nurse and patient navigators to cancer genetics/genomics professionals, ensuring that patients have access to the most current emerging technologies that may directly impact the level of care received, as well as quality of life.
- The Cancer Advocacy & Patient Education (CAPE) Initiative in lung cancer and chronic lymphocytic leukemia - The objective of the CAPE Initiative is to create a web-based library of best-practice information that providers can give to their patients and caregivers at each point of interaction.
- Navigating the Cancer Continuum in the Context of Value-Based Care - In collaboration with Pfizer, the Patient Navigation in Cancer Care Toolkit examines the history and evolution of navigation, the core competencies, current models of navigation, and the role of the navigator along the care continuum.
- Oncology Navigation Acuity Tool - In collaboration with Astellas Pharma, Inc, AONN+ has embarked on the development of an oncology navigation–specific acuity tool to help oncology navigators characterize the intensity of patient navigation workload, aid in the allocation of resources, and measure the effectiveness of navigation on patient outcomes.
The AONN+ Foundation for Learning, Inc (AONN+ FFL), created the Oncology Nurse Navigator (ONN-CG) and the Oncology Patient Navigator (OPN-CG) certifications in response to increasing demands to distinguish the knowledge, skills, and role of navigators and create certifications that differ from that of other types of nursing certifications provided by other organizations.
AONN+ will be convening oncology navigators and cancer care professionals from across the globe virtually at our 12th Annual Conference in November 2021 to discuss current and emerging topics, upcoming AONN+ initiatives, and certification opportunities.
Register for the Annual Conference
With the input of AONN+ leaders, Lillie D. Shockney, the Co-Founder of AONN+, has been the editor and author of 2 books as recommended reading for those interested in expanding their navigation knowledge:
- Oncology Nurse Navigation: Transitioning into the Field
- Team-Based Oncology Care: The Pivotal Role of Oncology Navigation
AONN+ leaders also regularly share their insights on the AONN+ blog and Lillie Shockney shares personal advice in the member-exclusive column What Would Lillie Do?
In addition to access to What Would Lillie Do?, AONN+ members have the benefit of gaining access to exclusive educational materials. Members receive an instant subscription to monthly print and digital editions of:
- Journal of Oncology Navigation & Survivorship (JONS)
- The Oncology Nurse-APN/PA
- CONQUER: the patient voice - Members will also receive 25 copies of each issue to distribute to patients
AONN+ members can also participate in continuing education activities designed in partnership with our healthcare systems. Past AONN+ conferences are made available to all who may have missed the presentations, offering more opportunities for continuing education hours. AONN+ members also receive access to the abstracts submitted for the AONN+ conferences published in JONS.
Knowledge is priceless, and AONN+ ensures that all professionals in the cancer care ecosystem are represented and provided the tools and resources they need to continue making an impact in patient care. Become a part of an organization made up of 8900 cancer professionals, like you, who understand the need for continuing education.
Become a Member 48-Hour Free Trial
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