Letters from Lillie

June 2013 Vol 4, No 3
Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, HON-ONN-CG
Co-Founder, AONN+; Editor, JONS; University Distinguished Service Professor of Breast Cancer, Professor of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Co-Developer, Work Stride-Managing Cancer at Work, Johns Hopkins Healthcare Solutions

Dear Reader,

Other than those patients with metastatic disease who might be able to take a “drug holiday”—better known as a break from the toxic drugs for a period of time while their cancer seems to be a bit more stable—in general, cancer is with us during every season. Patients rely on their navigators no matter what the season, upcoming holiday, or your personal vacation plans, so thank you for being so committed to providing quality navigation to your patients so consistently, and with such compassion.

This issue of JONS offers several special features. You will learn a new term called “boundary spanning” in an article from Pennsylvania State University. You will also learn about the work being done in Appalachia as it relates to ensuring that the navigator skills and knowledge “match” the needs and available resources.
We are all familiar with making sure the right patient gets the right drug, at the right time, using the right method, and in the right setting. Well, we all need to bring to the attention of the leadership at our respective institutions the importance of doing something quite similar when it comes to navigation—identifying the skills, knowledge, and expertise needed of a navigator to carry out specific tasks and functions. There are tasks and functions that can be carried out very well by a lay navigator, but other tasks and functions require medical knowledge and expertise, which require nursing knowledge.

Also in this issue is the next installment of the resources being provided by another pharmaceutical company that I have summarized for you; for this issue, I chose Merck Pharmaceuticals.

We are very busy planning for our 4th Annual AONN Conference. It is marvelous to see how many of you have already registered to attend. I am personally looking forward to seeing familiar faces as well as new faces in November in Memphis. The networking opportunities are truly boundless, and the knowledge you will gain from the speakers we have lined up for you will be phenomenal.

We hope you enjoy this issue. And remember, I am just a mouse click away if you need to personally reach out to me with questions or feedback about AONN. My e-mail is This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

With kind regards,

Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS
Editor-in-Chief

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Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, HON-ONN-CG
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June 2023 Vol 14, No 6
Dear Navigators, Social Workers, Administrators, and Clinical Staff, With this letter, I want to share some news with you.
National Nurses Month: Celebrating the Impact of Nurses
Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, HON-ONN-CG
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May 2023 Vol 14, No 5
All day, every day, nurses make all the difference in delivering high-quality care to those who need it the most. On behalf of all of us at AONN+, I want to recognize the nurses in our community for their invaluable contributions to healthcare.
Will Your Team Receive an Exceptional Research in Navigation Award?
Lillie D. Shockney, RN, BS, MAS, HON-ONN-CG
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April 2023 Vol 14, No 4
The abstract submission portal is open, and our expert peer-reviewers are standing by, awaiting your evidence-based navigation research studies, quality improvement projects, and best practices to consider for inclusion at the AONN+ Annual Conference.
Last modified: August 10, 2023

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