The Oncology Nursing Podcast Oncology Nursing Society

“One of the things that I know Dr. [Tom] Connor worked on very heavily in his career is the long-term impact on the health of nurses and other exposed healthcare workers. We definitely need more longitudinal studies, which are difficult to do. And it’s not something that you see every day where I talk to chemo nurses and said, ‘Hey, I’ve been in this 20 years. It hasn't bothered me at all.’ Well, until it does. Therefore, it’s so important when we’re training incoming nurses—how very important it is to start with these practices early in the career and throughout the career,” Charlotte A. Smith, RPh, MS, senior regulatory advisor at Waste Management PharmEcology Services in Milwaukee, WI, told Lenise Taylor, MN, RN, AOCNS®, BMTCN®, oncology clinical specialist at ONS, during a conversation about hazardous drug and waste disposal.
Music Credit: “Fireflies and Stardust” by Kevin MacLeod
Licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0 
Earn 0.5 contact hours of nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) by listening to the full recording and completing an evaluation at myoutcomes.ons.org by April 19, 2026. The planners and faculty for this episode have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose. ONS is accredited as a provider of NCPD by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
Learning outcome: Learners will report an increase in knowledge related to hazardous drugs and hazardous waste.
Episode Notes 
Complete this evaluation for free NCPD.  Oncology Nursing Podcast episodes: Episode 209: Updates in Chemo PPE and Safe Handling Episode 142: The How-To of Home Infusions ONS Voice articles: Two Oncology Nurses Implement Process to Allow Patients to Disconnect Pumps From the Comfort of Their Own Homes The Oncology Nurse’s Role in Oral Anticancer Therapies Strategies to Promote Safe Medication Administration Practices ONS Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs Learning Library ONS position statement: Infusion of Antineoplastic Therapies in the Home ONS book: Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs (fourth edition) ONS course: Safe Handling Basics Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing articles: Environmental Risk Factors: The Role of Oncology Nurses in Assessing and Reducing the Risk for Exposure Oral Chemotherapy: A Home Safety Educational Framework for Healthcare Providers, Patients, and Caregivers Oral Chemotherapy: An Evidence-Based Practice Change for Safe Handling of Patient Waste Reconciliation and Disposal of Oral Medication: Creating a Safe Process for Clinical Research Personnel Pharmacy Practice News article: Applying NIOSH Hazardous Drug Assessment of Risk Principles To Home Healthcare (by Charlotte Smith and Tom Connor) Books mentioned in this episode: Silent Spring by Rachel Carson Our Stolen Future by Theo Colborn, Diane Dumanoski, and John Peterson Myers Generations at Risk by Ted Schettler, Gina Solomon, Maria Valenti, and Annette Huddle Drug Enforcement Agency: National Prescription Drug Takeback Day Environmental Protection Agency: Final Rule: Management Standards for Hazardous Waste Pharmaceuticals and Amendment to the P075 Listing for Nicotine MD Anderson Cancer Center: Chemotherapy at Home: 9 Things to Know (patient resource) Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: Safe Handling of Chemotherapy and Biotherapy at Home (patient resource) National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health: Hazardous Drugs in Healthcare Settings Managing Hazardous Drug Exposures: Information for Healthcare Settings NIOSH List of Antineoplastic and Other Hazardous Drugs in Healthcare Settings, 2016 To discuss the information in this episode with other oncology nurses, visit the ONS Communities.
To find resources for creating an ONS Podcast Club in your chapter or nursing community, visit the ONS Podcast Library.
To provide feedback or otherwise reach ONS about the podcast, email pubONSVoice@on

“When we’re talking about the role of nurses in addressing these challenges, they play a critical role because of when they actually get to see patients. And so, if we can help with early identification and assessment, really finding out, using financial screening tools to identify any patients that might be at risk, early on, of financial toxicity, that can really allow for timely interventions,” Sarah Paul, LCSW, OSW-C, senior director of social work at CancerCare in New York, NY, told Lenise Taylor, MN, RN, AOCNS®, BMTCN®, oncology clinical specialist at ONS, during a conversation about financial toxicity in adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors.
Music Credit: “Fireflies and Stardust” by Kevin MacLeod
Licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0 
Earn 0.75 contact hours of nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) by listening to the full recording and completing an evaluation at myoutcomes.ons.org by April 12, 2026. The planners and faculty for this episode have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose. ONS is accredited as a provider of NCPD by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
Learning outcome: Learners will report an increase in knowledge related to financial toxicity in the adolescent and young adult population.
Episode Notes 
Complete this evaluation for free NCPD. Oncology Nursing Podcast episodes: Episode 300: AYAs With Cancer: End-of-Life Care Planning Episode 294: AYAs With Cancer: Clinical Trial Enrollment Barriers and Facilitators Episode 287: Tools, Techniques, and Real-World Examples for Difficult Conversations in Cancer Care Episode 276: Support Young Families During a Parent’s Cancer Journey Episode 62: Financial Toxicity Legislation ONS Voice articles: AYA Cancer Survivorship: Younger Survivors Face Different Challenges and Prefer More Casual Support Programs Nursing Considerations for Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivorship Care How to Support Adolescents and Young Adults With Cancer at the End of Life LGB AYA Patients With Cancer Have High Burden of Chronic Conditions in Survivorship AYA Champions Clinic Fills Gaps in Care and Addresses Unmet Needs ONS book: Oncology Nurse Navigation: Delivering Patient-Centered Care Across the Continuum (second edition) Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing articles: Two Case Reports on Financial Toxicity and Healthcare Transitions in Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivors Crucial Conversations: Addressing Informational Needs of Adolescents and Young Adults Diagnosed With Cancer A Nurse-Pharmacist Collaborative Approach to Reducing Financial Toxicity in Cancer Care Oncology Nursing Forum article: A Brief Screening Tool for Assessment of Financial Toxicity ONS Financial Toxicity Huddle Card ONS Nurse Navigation Learning Library Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Awareness Week American Society of Clinical Oncology CancerCare Got Transition National Comprehensive Cancer Network Patient Advocate Foundation Triage Cancer To discuss the information in this episode with other oncology nurses, visit the ONS Communities.
To find resources for creating an ONS Podcast Club in your chapter or nursing community, visit the ONS Podcast Library.
To provide feedback or otherwise reach ONS about the podcast, email pubONSVoice@ons.org.
Highlights From This Episode
“For nurses that are caring for AYA patients, it’s really important to not only be aware of financial toxicity but know how to assess for financial toxicity because of the pivotal stage that these patients are at in their life. They often don’t have the financial stability or insurance coverage that adults who are maybe middle age or even in the older adult population might have.” TS 2:11
“The idea of [AYAs] not really understanding insurance coverage—I think it’s really important that as a team, we simplify some of this complex information, b

“At the beginning, like when you first meet someone before they’ve even started anything, kind of get a baseline of ‘What’s your ability to complete your daily activities? How is your coordination? How’s your speech now? How is your writing ability?’ up front before we start anything that could be toxic. And then prior to every treatment, I tend to look at their gait, watch them walk in or walk out of the office, to see if they’re changing at all,” Colleen Erb, MSN, CRNP, ACNP-BC, AOCNP®, hematology and oncology nurse practitioner at Jefferson Health Asplundh Cancer Pavilion in Willow Grove, PA, told Lenise Taylor, MN, RN, AOCNS®, BMTCN®, oncology clinical specialist at ONS, during a conversation about central nervous system toxicity.
Music Credit: “Fireflies and Stardust” by Kevin MacLeod
Licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0 
Earn 0.5 contact hours of nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) by listening to the full recording and completing an evaluation at myoutcomes.ons.org by April 5, 2026. The planners and faculty for this episode have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose. ONS is accredited as a provider of NCPD by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
Learning outcome:  Learners will report an increase in knowledge related to CNS toxicities.
Episode Notes 
Complete this evaluation for free NCPD.  Oncology Nursing Podcast episodes: Episode 303: Cancer Symptom Management Basics: Ocular Toxicities Episode 290: Cancer Symptom Management Basics: Peripheral Neuropathy Episode 278: Cancer Symptom Management Basics: Hepatic Complications Episode 269: Cancer Symptom Management Basics: Gastrointestinal Complications Episode 256: Cancer Symptom Management Basics: Hematologic Complications Episode 250: Cancer Symptom Management Basics: Dermatologic Complications Episode 244: Cancer Symptom Management Basics: Cardiovascular Complications ONS Voice articles: Cognitive Impairment Is Much More Than “Chemo Brain” When Delirium Is Recognized and Addressed Early, Patient Outcomes Improve An Oncology Nurse’s Guide to Bispecific Antibodies CNS Survivorship Needs More Research, Funding, and Training, Expert Panel Says ONS courses: Essentials in Advanced Practice Symptom Management Treatment and Symptom Management—Oncology RN Nursing Considerations for CAR T-Cell Therapy for Patients With Hematologic Malignancies: Patient Education and Symptom Management ONS books: Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy Guidelines and Recommendations for Practice (second edition) Clinical Manual for the Oncology Advanced Practice Nurse (fourth edition) Core Curriculum for Oncology Nursing (seventh edition) Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing articles: Associated Toxicities: Assessment and Management Related to CAR T-Cell Therapy Dronabinol Therapy: Central Nervous System Adverse Events in Adults With Primary Brain Tumors Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma: Treatment and Nursing Management of Immunocompetent Patients ONS Huddle Card: Immune Effector Cell–Associated Neurotoxicity Syndrome (ICANS) American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Nervous System Side Effects Management of Immune-Related Adverse Events in Patients Treated With Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy: ASCO Guideline To discuss the information in this episode with other oncology nurses, visit the ONS Communities.
To find resources for creating an ONS Podcast Club in your chapter or nursing community, visit the ONS Podcast Library.
To provide feedback or otherwise reach ONS about the podcast, email pubONSVoice@ons.org.
Highlights From This Episode
“Biotherapy, immunotherapy, and cellular therapy can cause changes in cognitive function and personality, even without other signs of obvious neurotoxicity. Things like cytokines, whether it’s infused or as a result of side effects, can bypass the blood-

“A couple of things I think are really important when you look at this class of drug: It developed by a concerted effort in cancer drug development to look at new agents that would be effective based on the mechanism. And then once they found a drug in this class that was beneficial, they further modified it to try to get better efficacy and less toxicity,” Rowena “Moe” Schwartz, PharmD, BCOP, FHOPA, professor of pharmacy practice at James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS®, manager of oncology nursing practice at ONS, during a conversation about the nitrosoureas drug class.
Music Credit: “Fireflies and Stardust” by Kevin MacLeod
Licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0 
Earn 0.5 contact hours of nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) by listening to the full recording and completing an evaluation at myoutcomes.ons.org by March 29, 2026. The planners and faculty for this episode have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose. ONS is accredited as a provider of NCPD by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
Learning outcome: Learners will report an increase in knowledge related to nitrosourea administration.
Episode Notes 
Complete this evaluation for free NCPD.  Oncology Nursing Podcast episodes: Episode 286: Pharmacology 101: Alkylating Agents Episode 288: Pharmacology 101: Antimetabolites Episode 296: Pharmacology 101: Anthracyclines and Other Antitumor Antibiotics Episode 299: Pharmacology 101: Plant Alkaloids ONS Voice article: The Oncology Nurse’s Role in Oral Anticancer Therapies ONS courses: ONS/ONCC Chemotherapy Immunotherapy Administration Certificate™ ONS Fundamentals of Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy Administration™ ONS books: Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy Guidelines and Recommendations for Practice (second edition) Clinical Guide to Antineoplastic Therapy: A Chemotherapy Handbook (fourth edition) Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs (fourth edition) Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing article: Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma: Treatment and Nursing Management of Immunocompetent Patients Oncology Nursing Forum article: ONS Guidelines™ to Support Patient Adherence to Oral Anticancer Medications ONS Oral Anticancer Medication Learning Library ONS Oral Adherence Video National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health: Hazardous Drugs in Healthcare Settings To discuss the information in this episode with other oncology nurses, visit the ONS Communities.
To find resources for creating an ONS Podcast Club in your chapter or nursing community, visit the ONS Podcast Library.
To provide feedback or otherwise reach ONS about the podcast, email pubONSVoice@ons.org.
Highlights From This Episode
“With the nitrosoureas, there’s something really interesting because there’s another mechanism that has been identified. And that is that when you put these nitrosoureas in the body, they break down into intermediates, and one of them is an isocyanate. … These isocyanates, what they do is they inhibit DNA repair, therefore have an impact on cells that are damaged. You can think of it as the second mechanism, and people that work in the neuro-oncology space think of this when they think of drugs like lomustine in brain cancer, how that drug decreases the DNA repair protein O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase.” TS 4:11
“These drugs are very lipophilic, meaning they cross the blood-brain barrier. That’s why we use them in brain tumors, so that’s one of the key things. That’s also one of the toxicities we see when drugs cross blood-brain barrier; we see neurotoxicity. So that’s one to at least always consider but also the benefit of it crossing over and being able to treat cancers within the CNS.” TS 8:19
“As a group, these drugs are alkylating agents, so defini

“The prescribing information is really a reliable data-driven and comprehensively reviewed tool. That’s not just for healthcare providers when writing a prescription, but also, for example, it is a tool that can be used to generate educational content for healthcare systems as they update formularies and create drug information,” Elizabeth Everhart, MSN, RN, ACNP, associate director for labeling at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Silver Spring, MD, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS®, manager of oncology nursing practice at ONS, during a conversation about drug package inserts and labeling.
Music Credit: “Fireflies and Stardust” by Kevin MacLeod
Licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0 
Earn 0.25 contact hours of nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) by listening to the full recording and completing an evaluation at myoutcomes.ons.org by March 22, 2026. The planners and faculty for this episode have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose. ONS is accredited as a provider of NCPD by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
Learning outcome: Learners will report an increase in knowledge related to FDA drug labeling.
Episode Notes
Complete this evaluation for free NCPD. Oncology Nursing Podcast episodes: Episode 126: Oncology Clinical Trials and Drug Development Episode 242: Oncology Pharmacology 2023: Today’s Treatments and Tomorrow’s Breakthroughs Episode 273: Updates in Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy ONS Voice articles: Oncology Drug Reference Sheets FDA Updates ONS books: Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy Guidelines and Recommendations for Practice (second edition) Clinical Guide to Antineoplastic Therapy: A Chemotherapy Handbook (fourth edition) ONS Drug Development Learning Library ONS and Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association: Safe Handling Q&A: How to Determine if a Drug is Hazardous National Library of Medicine: DailyMed FDA Prescribing Information Resources Drugs@FDA: FDA-Approved Drugs National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health: Hazardous Drug Exposures in Health Care To discuss the information in this episode with other oncology nurses, visit the ONS Communities.
To find resources for creating an ONS Podcast Club in your chapter or nursing community, visit the ONS Podcast Library.
To provide feedback or otherwise reach ONS about the podcast, email pubONSVoice@ons.org.
Highlights From This Episode
“Nurses can be involved in several ways in creating the labeling. They can be members of the FDA multidisciplinary team that reviews the information submitted by the drug maker. Also in the review and development of the patient package insert or medication guide or the instructions for use that are used to help a healthcare practitioner, patients, or family members use the drug safely and accurately.” TS 2:08
“[Nurses] can use the sections to guide their teaching and instruction to patients, particularly about dosing and any tests that will be done to monitor for adverse reactions and any needed changes in the dosing, like whether they need to hold the medication or take less of it. They can also use the information to describe what the expected and serious adverse reactions for the drug are and how frequently they occurred in clinical trials.” TS 9:12
“The patient package inserts and medication guides that I mentioned are written in patient-friendly language and are good resources for nurses to use to educate patients and their caregivers or family members about what the product is used for, what its main and most serious side effects are, as well as what to expect in terms of the need for any special tests.” TS 11:04
“In the FDA’s public Prescribing Information Resources page, there are several excellent resources for healthcare providers to learn more about specific sections of the label, as well as to find good

“First, you want to refer patients to an eye care provider prior to initiating therapy, and I think communication at this point is really important. You need to tell the eye care provider why they’re being referred, what treatment they’re getting, the most common ocular toxicities, and also what needs to be done at every visit. They need to do a visual acuity; they need to do a slit-lamp eye exam. And these eye care providers need to know that ahead of time, so they’re doing everything at that visit,” Courtney Arn, APRN-CNP, nurse practitioner at the Ohio State University James Cancer Hospital in Columbus, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS®, manager of oncology nursing practice at ONS, during a conversation about ocular toxicities and their management in cancer care.
The advertising messages in this episode are paid for by Dartmouth Hitchcock Cancer Center.
Music Credit: “Fireflies and Stardust” by Kevin MacLeod
Licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0 
Episode Notes
NCPD contact hours are not available for this episode. Oncology Nursing Podcast Cancer Symptom Management Basics series: Episode 244: Cancer Symptom Management Basics: Cardiovascular Complications Episode 250: Cancer Symptom Management Basics: Dermatologic Complications Episode 256: Cancer Symptom Management Basics: Hematologic Complications Episode 269: Cancer Symptom Management Basics: Gastrointestinal Complications Episode 278: Cancer Symptom Management Basics: Hepatic Complications Episode 290: Cancer Symptom Management Basics: Peripheral Neuropathy ONS Voice articles: Oncology Drug Reference Sheet: Mirvetuximab Soravtansine-Gynx Oncology Drug Reference Sheet: Tisotumab Vedotin-Tftv Oncology Drug Reference Sheet: Belantamab Mafodotin-Blmf ONS courses: ONS Cancer Basics™ Essentials in Advanced Practice Symptom Management Treatment and Symptom Management—Oncology RN Symptom Management—Oncology APN ONS books: Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy Guidelines and Recommendations for Practice (second edition) Clinical Manual for the Oncology Advanced Practice Nurse (fourth edition) Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing articles: Transfusion Reactions: A Case Study of an Ocular Adverse Event During Autologous Transplantation Ocular Graft-Versus-Host Disease After Allogeneic Transplantation Enfortumab Vedotin: Nursing Perspectives on the Management of Adverse Events in Patients With Locally Advanced or Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma Oncology Nursing Forum article: Ocular Toxicity of Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors To discuss the information in this episode with other oncology nurses, visit the ONS Communities.
To find resources for creating an ONS Podcast Club in your chapter or nursing community, visit the ONS Podcast Library.
To provide feedback or otherwise reach ONS about the podcast, email pubONSVoice@ons.org.
Highlights From This Episode
“The most common ocular toxicities that we see with cancer treatments currently are vision impairment, which can include decreased visual acuity or blurred vision. We also see keratopathy or keratitis, very common to have dry eyes, photophobia, eye pain. Sometimes patients can develop cataracts, conjunctivitis, or even blepharitis, which is inflammation of the eyelid.” TS 2:27
“Fortunately, most of the ocular toxicities that develop when being treated with these treatments are short term, and so most of them are reversible. And they actually resolve relatively quickly after stopping treatment that’s causing the ocular toxicity. So usually within one to two months, the ocular toxicities have significantly improved or resolved.” TS 4:55
“Sometimes patients come in and you’re asking them, ‘Are you having any symptoms, or do you have any blurred vision?’ And they’ll say, you know, ‘I haven't been able to see my computer as well,’ or ‘I’ve noticed when driving, I can’t read the road sign.’ And what I really hear ofte