CONJ • RCSIO Fall/Automne 2013 225
As I sit down to write this
editorial, my first as Editor-
in-Chief, the thought that
comes to mind is “a time of
new beginnings”. It is a time
for new beginnings on a
number of fronts.
Firstly, it is the fall, and a new academic
and school year is underway. This is always
an exciting time for me when classes start
again and students embark on new courses
of study, hopefully ready to learn and dis-
cover more about the world and people
around them. Some are beginning their
journey of lifelong learning, as they head
to school for the first time. Others are fur-
ther along in their journey, entering the
next grade or setting off to university. Do
you remember your first day of school? Or
beginning junior high or high school? What
about the first nursing class you attended?
Was it filled with excitement or mixed with
a little trepidation?
I must admit that the mix of excite-
ment and trepidation describes what I am
feeling as I start my new role and assume
the responsibilities of Editor-in-Chief. On
one hand, this new beginning is energiz-
ing and filled with a sense of potential. I
am deeply honoured to have been selected
for the role and do look forward to mak-
ing an effective contribution. But, on the
other hand, I feel a little anxiety and uncer-
tainty, as I prepare this first issue “on my
own”. The role embodies a large responsi-
bility. And the journal has such potential to
support oncology nurses in the future. Yet,
there are challenges ahead of us if we are
to make the very best use of the CONJ as a
tool to foster oncology nursing and cancer
patient care.
I have had an excellent orientation
to my new role by the previous incum-
bent, Heather Porter. We have known
one another for some time and worked
together in various capacities over the
years. During the past six months, Heather
has been “schooling” me in the role of
Editor-in-Chief. I watched through one
issue, worked alongside her for the next
one, and now I have the lead. I know she
is not far away and has clearly offered
to help as I launch this new undertak-
ing for me. But I also know that I have
“large shoes to fill”. Heather has served
as Editor-in-Chief for nine years and pro-
vided stalwart leadership. The Canadian
Oncology Nursing Journal has continued
to grow and develop under her guidance.
We owe her a debt of gratitude and strong
vote of thanks for her efforts. Those who
come to the 2013 conference in Vancouver
will have the opportunity to celebrate her
achievements with her and express the
“thank you” in person.
Having a new person at the helm means
the journal is entering a new era. I believe it
is an excellent time to reflect upon its role
in our lives as Canadian oncology nurses.
New beginnings can be a time for reconsid-
erations, renewed priorities, or directional
change. I think now is the moment to con-
sider how the journal will continue to evolve
and serve our needs, as an oncology nurs-
ing community. There are many changes
unfolding in the publishing and communica-
tion world that will have a profound impact
on professional journals such as ours. We
need to be ready to act. We should not risk
being caught unaware and unprepared for
the changes. I encourage you to send me a
(416-480-5891) to share any ideas you have
about the journal. I would love to hear from
you. What needs to change? What needs to
stay the same?
As I look to the future, I cannot help but
feel we are living in exciting times. There is
great potential for the future. But exciting
times can also bring challenge. There are so
many changes emerging across cancer con-
trol and within patient care. Developments
in science and technology are contributing
to advances in diagnosis and treatment.
Protocols and procedures are ever more
complex. The numbers of patients entering
the cancer system and the proportion who
have pre-existing co-morbidities continue
to escalate. Health care reform is rampant
and pressures continue to find new ways
of delivering care. Financial constraints are
driving changes that often increase the dis-
tress we feel (both personally and profes-
sionally) about whether we are providing
high-quality care on a daily basis. I have col-
leagues across Canada tell me it has been
quite a while since they left work at the end
of the day feeling they had done a good job.
Yet, at the same time, we are entering
an era in cancer care where we have never
been before. Developments such as concur-
rent therapies, minimally invasive treatment
approaches, oral chemotherapy agents,
reduced radiation fraction protocols, tar-
geted diagnostics, and personalized medi-
cine are poised to revolutionize cancer care.
The implications for practice, patient expe-
riences and bioethics are staggering.
The ever-increasing cadre of individu-
als living after a cancer diagnosis and treat-
ment is already beginning to drive change in
the cancer care system. These survivors are
a product of the successes in cancer diagno-
sis, treatment and support over the past 30
years. While they may be living disease free
or many years with controlled disease, and
experiencing active productive lives, they
may also be challenged by late and long-
terms effects. Providing survivorship care
will be one of our key issues in the future.
However, the cadre of survivors offers
us one of most significant opportunities for
the future. Survivors have a wisdom which
has been gleaned from living through the
cancer experience. Their insight could be
invaluable in our efforts to improve patient
care. We need to find authentic ways of har-
nessing their wisdom and working together,
as partners. Their input can help us design
relevant interventions, user friendly clinical
processes, effective programs, and mean-
ingful policies.
As cancer patients and their fami-
lies move through their journey with can-
cer, I believe they need powerful oncology
nurses. The complexity of the current can-
cer care landscape may mean they need us
now more than ever before. Dealing with the
myriad of physical and psychosocial conse-
quences of diagnosis and treatment, as well
as the challenges of navigating the cancer
care system, can create significant distress
for individuals and their family members. It
has the potential to increase the burden of
suffering and decrease their quality of life.
I believe oncology nurses can have a signifi-
cant influence on this situation.
However, our capacity to make a differ-
ence is based on our professional knowledge
and skill. We must be up-to-date regarding
the knowledge that supports effective prac-
tice and astute in the performance of our
roles. We need to be leaders in whatever role
we hold, advocating for improvements and
quality care. We need to hone our ability to
truly listen to patients and families, work
in partnership with them, and achieve out-
comes of importance to them.
We have an important role to play in the
lives of cancer patients, survivors and their
family members. To be effective in our roles
as oncology nurses and truly make a differ-
ence in the lives of patients and their families,
we must base our practice on sound evidence.
We must be certain our practice decisions will
achieve the best result for the individuals for
whom we care. We must continue to learn, be
curious about innovation, and ready to adopt
improvements in patient care.
The Canadian Association of Nurses
in Oncology and the Canadian Oncology
Nursing Journal have important roles to
play in supporting oncology nurses across
the country. The association is just releasing
a new strategic plan designed to guide its
work over the next three years. We will look
Editorial