Alliance will advance educational and professional development opportunities for ACS Oncology Navigators
CRANBURY, NJ – It’s been proven that teamwork is vital in the battle against cancer. This is a fact that the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators (AONN+) and the American Cancer Society (ACS) recently validated when they entered into a National Alliance Partnership Program.
Under this program – which brings together two organizations that are strongly aligned in their missions and values ‒ ACS oncology patient navigators will have access to all AONN+ member resources, including the Oncology Patient Navigator‒Certified Generalist™ (OPN-CG) certification exam when requirements are met.
“AONN+’s collective resources will help empower ACS’ navigators with the education and skillsets necessary to further their professional competencies,” says Lillie Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, ONN-CG, Co-Founder and Program Director, AONN+. “There’s little question that certification for oncology navigators is an issue about which both AONN+ and ACS are passionate.”
“We are excited and committed to further develop a synergistic alliance with ACS that is mutually structured to provide interactive opportunities to experience knowledge sharing, increase innovation, and enhance collaborative engagement to pursue superior quality cancer care,” says AONN+’s Danelle Johnston, RN, MSN, BSN, ONN-CG, OCN, CBCN, Chief Nursing Officer and Senior Director of Strategic Planning and Initiatives.
“A cancer diagnosis can be the most overwhelming experience a person may ever face in his or her lifetime. The journey can be challenging to patients and their caregivers to manage,” says Katherine Sharpe, MTS, Senior Vice President, Patient and Caregiver Support for the ACS. “We are thrilled that ACS patient navigators will have access to the wealth of resources through our partnership with AONN+. This partnership will support our navigators in their efforts to help improve the quality of life for cancer patients and their caregivers as they face the psychosocial, emotional, and financial aspects of their cancer experience.”
About the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators® (www.aonnonline.org)
The Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators, Inc. (AONN+) is the largest national specialty organization dedicated to improving patient care and quality of life by defining, enhancing, and promoting the role of oncology nurse and patient navigators. The organization, which has more than 6000 members, was founded in 2009 to provide a network for all professionals involved and interested in patient navigation and survivorship care services in order to better manage the complexities of the cancer treatment process.
The Journal of Oncology Navigation & Survivorship® (www.jons-online.com) is the official publication of AONN+. It is published twelve times a year and features topics related to patient navigation and survivorship care. JONS offers original research, best practices, interviews, case reports, and study highlights as well as a platform through which navigators can share research and views on navigation and survivorship issues.
CONQUER: the patient voice magazine™ (www.conquer-magazine.com) is the AONN+ premier forum for patients with cancer. CONQUER features articles written by and for patients with cancer, survivors, nurse navigators, and other oncology team members. This magazine addresses the issues that patients, their family members, and caregivers face every day in an easy-to-read format. Issues include interviews with patients with cancer, information on access to care, and articles on lifestyle topics such as nutrition, stress management, personal finance, and legal and employer issues. CONQUER also features patient stories that are nominated for the AONN+ HERO OF HOPE™ award, which will be presented at the AONN+ Annual Conference.
About the American Cancer Society (www.cancer.org)
The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of 2 million volunteers saving lives in every community. As the largest voluntary health organization, the Society’s efforts have contributed to a 25% decline in the cancer death rate in the United States since 1991, driven by less smoking, better treatments, and earlier detection. We’re finding cures as the nation’s largest private, not-for-profit investor in cancer research, ensuring people facing cancer have the help they need and continuing the fight for access to quality healthcare, lifesaving screenings, and more. For more information, to get help, or to join the fight, call us anytime, day or night, at (800) 227-2345 or visit cancer.org.
