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The Assistance for Quality Improvement and Research (AQUIRE) Committee is dedicated to empowering all AONN+ members to conduct impactful research projects and publishing the results.

An overview of the diagnosis and treatment of multiple myeloma, the role of an oncology nurse navigator, and the patient's perspective in undergoing therapy.

Although the field of immunotherapy continues to evolve and has led to unprecedented survival in many patients, the effects of these treatments on quality of life are still largely understudied, according to Morganna Freeman, DO, from City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in Duarte, CA.

Some days it's hard to laugh and easy to cry, especially when confronted with the harsh reality of cancer. But according to Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, ONN-CG, Director of Cancer Survivorship Programs at Johns Hopkins, finding humor in the day-to-day can actually boost the immune system and improve the overall health of patients with cancer.

The nurse navigator, the oncology social worker, the financial navigator, and the lay navigator all provide critical guidance to patients throughout the cancer continuum, but effective communication between departments, well-defined pathways, and role delineation are crucial to prevent the duplication of services and wasted time.

Precision medicine is now a mainstay in cancer care, bringing to light the importance of genomic literacy among providers, according to Kate Reed, MPH, ScM, from The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, ME.

The role of the oncology nurse navigator in women's health is "education, education, and more education," according to Kristina Rua, BSN, RN, Gynecology Oncology Nurse Navigator at Baptist Health South Florida in Miami.

Patient navigators are increasingly recognized for their critical role in helping patients make their way through complex healthcare systems, all the way from screening to treatment adherence. Clinical trials are a vital part of high-quality cancer care, and navigators have become invaluable in facilitating patient awareness and access to trials, while also normalizing the clinical trial process and dispelling myths.

The majority of patients with cancer will undergo surgery at some point during their treatment. Cancer surgery comes with a host of side effects, but integrative medicine, which combines conventional with complementary and alternative medicines, works to facilitate the body's innate healing response. It can minimize the side effects of anesthesia and surgery; enhance perioperative safety, comfort, and recovery; and give patients an improved sense of well-being during a particularly vulnerable time, according to Rosanne Sheinberg, MD, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD.

The next phase of the AONN+ Metrics study is designed to evaluate common barriers and challenges navigation programs encounter during the implementation of the metrics.