Change is natural for any growing organization, and this is certainly the case for the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators (AONN+). Thus far, 2017 has brought many exciting additions and enhancements aimed at better serving you and your patients. At the top of this list is the addition of the thoracic oncology nurse navigator certification, which was offered as a beta exam to navigators at our West Coast Regional Meeting. This is the first of a series of organ-specific certifications that AONN+ will be offering in the near future, and builds upon our commitment to support our members in their personal and professional development.
Certification is just one of the many areas on which we have focused our attention this past year. Other exciting changes have included the following:
Newly Redesigned Website
In response to member feedback, we launched our newly redesigned AONN+ website. The site now offers an improved navigation menu as well as an updated FAQ section (with demonstration videos) to make it easier for you to find what you need. Another addition is the navigation tools page, which provides practical resources for tracking patients’ appointments, documenting patients’ acute care treatment, and providing a flowchart for radiation treatment. Other enhancements include new on-demand webinars, streamlined content, an updated membership profile that allows you to view your completed and in-progress continuing education learning modules, and expanded certification pages.
Additions to AONN+ Executive Team
Best Practices Summit
In late 2016, AONN+ hosted its first Best Practices in Lung Cancer meeting. This event proved so successful that we will offer another Best Practices Summit, to be held October 26-29, 2017, in Chicago. The Summit will feature presentations given by clinical professionals and will cover a range of topics, including lung and breast cancer, precision medicine, and immunotherapy. Both AONN+ members and nonmembers are invited to attend this event. In addition to the presentations, we will be offering the navigator certifications at this meeting.
Town Hall Meetings
Anyone who attended the 2017 Regional Meeting in Phoenix will undoubtedly remember the Town Hall that we hosted with members of AONN+’s Leadership Council. The success of this event inspired us to once again add it to our agenda for the Eighth Annual Navigation & Survivorship Conference taking place November 16-19, 2017, in Orlando. This year’s Town Hall will again feature members of the Leadership Council and will offer attendees the opportunity to ask questions about navigation, AONN+, and other relative topics.
Evidence-Based Navigation Metrics Introduced
Following two years of hard work, the Evidence into Practice Committee's Metrics Subcommittee proudly presented 35 evidence-based national navigation metrics at the AONN+ Seventh Annual Navigation & Survivorship Conference last November. These metrics, which can be used by all programs in their navigation model, focus on three areas: patient experience, clinical outcomes, and return on investment. The next step for the subcommittee will be to work with AONN+ to develop a metrics repository for programs to report outcomes, lessons learned, and performance improvement initiatives that have been implemented to enhance and improve navigation processes. This will provide a means through which programs can share data nationally and begin to develop standardized reporting.
It’s been an honor for AONN+ to serve the needs of our growing navigation community, and we look forward to another exciting year. Please feel free to share this page with your colleagues and friends who may be interested in learning more about AONN+ and its services.
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