Top 5 Oncology Nursing News Stories of 2020

From the possibility of student loan elimination to the impact of COVID-19 on oncology patients, here’s a look back at the top 5 Oncology Nursing News stories of 2020.

5. Proposed Bill Could Slash Clinicians' Student Debt

Back in May, we took a closer look at a newly proposed bill that would eliminate student debt for healthcare workers who are treating patients with COVID-19, and how oncology nurses could be included in this act, given their proximity to patients who may be more susceptible to the virus.

4. States Roll Back Rule Forcing NPs to Practice With Physician Oversight

While the law dictates that nurse practitioners (NPs) must work under the supervision of physicians, this rule is being reevaluated, with 22 states, plus Washington DC, the Indian Health Care Services, and the VA Health Care Services, allowing NPs to practice without physician oversight. Here, we speak with an expert about why this advancement is long overdue, and the hope that more states catch on.

3. FDA Recommends Black-Box Warning on Breast Implants

In this piece about the final guidance issued by the Food and Drug Administration in September, we examine why makers of breast implants were directed to supplement their labeling to include a boxed warning about health problems that can arise from the devices, along with a patient decision checklist that highlights those concerns.

2. Are Patients with Cancer at Higher Risk of COVID-19?

In late March, we shared details of a small study conducted in Wuhan, China, that found that patients with cancer who are diagnosed with COVID-19 tend to have poorer outcomes, making it vital that the oncology treatment team screen their patients for the virus before continuing on with treatment.

1. 2020: WHO's International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife

When the World Health Organization designated 2020 as the “International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife,” in honor of the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightingale’s birth, we looked at how this announcement aimed to elevate nursing throughout the world and lead individuals to recognize the many roles we nurses fill in global healthcare.