Oncology Nursing Month doesn’t begin until May, but there’s Smilow Cancer Hospital nurse news that just cannot wait.

To start, there are hundreds of Smilow nurses and APPs being celebrated today, Certified Nurses Day, from Greenwich to Guilford and Waterbury to Westerly, RI. The day of recognition, begun in 2008, honors nurses who have earned and maintained national board certification in their specialties, while remaining committed to quality patient care. See the list at right.

In a few weeks, as thousands throng Denver for the 50^th anniversary Congress of The Oncology Nursing Society, two Smilow nurses —Toby Bressler, PhD, RN, OCN®, FAAN, and Lynn Carbino, BSN, RN, OCN®, ONN-CG —will be among those in the spotlights during the five-day conference.

During the ONS opening ceremonies on the morning of April 10, Oncology Nurse Coordinator Ms. Carbino will be among five nurses chosen, from the international membership of 35,000, to share stories that have impacted them most as nurses—and as people. She has a rich nursing experience from which to choose her story, having cared for Greenwich Hospital patients for three decades. As a student nurse in the early 1990s she worked on the inpatient Oncology Unit and then the Emergency Department for 10 years. But she found her true passion working as an Oncology Nurse Navigator in 2014. She is on the leadership board for the local chapter of the AONN and was awarded the Helen Meehan award at Greenwich Hospital for Excellence in Nursing in 2019 and 2020.

Smilow’s new vice president for patient services, Ms. Bressler will arrive at the ONS conference as the new Director at Large for the ONS Board of Directors. The Board governs ONS and its members serve three-year terms, meeting monthly to guide the strategic direction of the organization.

In describing Ms. Bressler and her new role, ONS said she has a reputation for her expertise in patient care, leadership, policy and advocacy that has improved health-equity for at-risk communities.

“I look forward to contributing to ONS’s mission to promote excellence in oncology nursing practice, education, and research, and to advocating for the needs of oncology nurses as they continue to provide exceptional care to patients and families affected by cancer,” said Ms. Bressler, who has volunteered for ONS in many capacities, serving on national project teams. She started at Smilow in January, coming from the Mount Sinai Health System where she was Senior Director of Nursing for Oncology and Clinical Quality.

More than a dozen ONS attendees from Smilow are presenting abstracts at the Congress, including:

• Christina Matousek, Manager, RN & APP Fellowship: "Designing a Digital Resource Center for Oncology Nurses: Empowering Care Through Technology

• Evanica Rosselli, Nursing Professional Development Specialist: “Management Strategies for Talquetamab Skin and Oral Toxicities.”

• Liz Gineo, Nursing Professional Development Specialist and Nicole Bocchetta, Nursing Professional Development Specialist: “Oral Anti-cancer agents: Revisiting and Revamping.”

• Thea Malile, Nursing Professional Development Specialist: “Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocyte Therapy Education: Bridging the Gap Between Solid Tumor and Cellular Therapy.”

• Melissa Gutknecht, Nursing Professional Development Specialist: “Care of the Celllular Therapy Patient: Enhancing RN Education in a Rapidly Evolving Environment.”

• Ashley Shelden, Nursing Professional Development Specialist: “Take Care of Yourself: Incorporating Wellbeing Education for Oncology Nursing and Support Staff.”

• Kirsten Foster, Registered Nurse. “Get Engaged: Improving Workplace Relationships in the Ambulatory Setting.”

• Elizabeth Wright, Director, Nursing Patient Services: “Oncology Nurse-Led Virtual Group Patient Education Classes across a Large Academic Healthcare System.”

• Maricel Mendoza, Registered Nurse: “Medication Administration for Apheresis Procedures in a Hospital-Based Setting.”

• Liana Keyes, Assistant Patient Services Manager-CSM: “Oncology Extended Care Clinic After-hours Answering Service.”