Oncology Nursing Foundation Commits to $420,000 to Support Oncology Nursing Research Grants

(May 28, 2020) PITTSBURGH - The Oncology Nursing Foundation has committed $420,000 over the next two years to support three major research grants that will be led by oncology nurse scientists. The three projects beginning this summer are two-year studies funded at $120,000 to $150,000.

Janet Deatrick, PhD, FAAN, of the University of Pennsylvania, in collaboration with the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, will lead a project in the growing field of implementation science, drawing on evidence-based nursing interventions to advance cancer care. “Implementation science can help bridge the gap between what we know and how we practice in order to optimize health,” says Deatrick. Deatrick’s project will further test and implement training in a problem-solving platform for the caregivers of young adult survivors of childhood brain tumors.

Nada Lukkahatai, PhD, MSN, RN, FAAN, of the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing in Baltimore, and Loretta A. Williams, PhD, APRN, AOCN®, OCN®, of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, will each conduct studies that address the assessment and management of side effects associated with immunotherapy used in the treatment of cancer. Lukkahatai will develop and test a program that combines ear points acupressure, which is a traditional Chinese medicine intervention, and personalized home-based exercise to address immunotherapy-related symptoms of fatigue and diminished physical function.

Williams will develop a questionnaire that will allow patients receiving immunotherapy drugs for lung cancer to report symptoms of their disease and treatment routinely and consistently, as well as how their daily lives are affected. By testing the questionnaire with many patients, she anticipates that oncology nurses will be able to better understand and manage symptoms that patients are experiencing.

The Oncology Nursing Society created the Oncology Nursing Foundation in 1981 to accept charitable contributions to advance these important activities on behalf of oncology nursing. The mission of the Oncology Nursing Foundation is to support oncology nursing excellence. Each of the funded projects aligns with the strategic research priorities of the Oncology Nursing Society.

Thanks to the generosity of individuals and institutions, the Oncology Nursing Foundation has awarded more than $28 million in funding since its inception for education, research, and leadership development for oncology nurses. For more information or to donate to the Oncology Nursing Foundation, please visit www.onfgivesback.org.