| We are approaching the end of a year that has been extremely difficult for the whole world, but especially for those who dedicate their lives to healthcare. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected us all deeply, professionally and personally. As cancer nurses, we have done our best to maintain a high level of care for our patients in a very challenging landscape where resources of all kinds have been in short supply. Many of us are exhausted and looking forward to a much-needed break. Celebrations this year will not be the same as other years, but EONS hopes that you and your family and friends will have some opportunities to give each other support and inspiration for the coming months. The arrival of effective vaccines suggests that 2021 will bring a gradual return to normal life. We wish you and your loved ones all the very best for the year ahead and we hope that we will, once more, be able to meet together to share our experience and take forward our shared goals for the future of cancer nursing. This newsletter features some exciting dates for your 2021 calendar to mark and look forward to. |
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| ADVANCED BREAST CANCER WEBINAR – COMING SOON |
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Mark your calendar for the upcoming EONS educational webinar on advanced breast cancer (ABC). It will take place as a live event on Monday, 22 February, 2021 from 2-3.30pm CET in English, or alternatively with either German or Spanish subtitles. The 90-minute webinar will provide an overview of advanced breast cancer types, treatment options, usual sites of metastases and how to manage symptoms and continue to live well. Find out more |
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| ECND2021 – SAVE THE DATE! |
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European Cancer Nursing Day (ECND) will take place on 18 May 2021. This exciting flagship EONS event will, due to COVID-19, take place online again this year. We will focus on the impact cancer nurses can have on preventing cancer. More details of this, and how you can join in, will be revealed soon. So, stay tuned and put this important date in your diary. It’s going to be a wonderful day when we will celebrate cancer nursing together throughout Europe. In the meantime, you can revisit a selection of pictures from ECND2020, when we campaigned on the issue of safety. Revisit ECND2020 |
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| WHEN SHALL WE MEET AGAIN? POSSIBLY AT EONS14! |
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We are delighted to announce that, for the 4th year, EONS will be holding a 3-day nursing track alongside the ESMO Congress 2021. The conference theme will be Cancer Nursing: Towards a new era in cancer care. At this moment, the conference is being planned to take place physically in Paris, France, on September 17-21, 2020, Covid-19 pandemic permitting; alternatively, it will be a virtual event again. A final decision will be made in February. Please mark your calendars and stay tuned for further information. In the meantime, why not visit last year’s conference, relive some of those memories and watch some of the sessions that you didn’t have a chance to experience at the time. Relive EONS13 |
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EONS YOUNG CANCER NURSES –
LAST NIGHTINGALE CHALLENGE WEBINAR |
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Young cancer nurses face a variety of personal and professional challenges that are unique to their generation as a result of changing political and economic environments globally. The Young Cancer Nurses’ Network Nightingale Challenge give young cancer nurses an opportunity to engage in a series of educational webinars which provide information about personal and professional development in cancer nursing. The last webinar of the series – Career Advice – Developing a Clinical-Academic Career – takes place on Thursday 10 December at 18.00 CET. The speakers are Professor Mary Wells and Professor Manuela Eicher. Register NOW |
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| EONS MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL 2021 |
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We would like to inform our current members with their membership ending in December 2020, and our Society/Associate members, that they will receive an invitation in January 2021 to renew their membership.Updated information regarding rates and a registration form will be available on the EONS website in early January. In the meantime, visit our new website and remind yourself of all the wonderful resources and opportunities that come with membership of EONS. |
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target is an educational initiative that aims to give nurses a greater scientific understanding of targeted therapies including immunotherapy and other novel agents. Now, updated materials are available to EONS individual or national society members who wish to organise a target course in their own country. The third edition of the target programme is available on request in English, German and Dutch. By offering a target course through your society, interest group or institution, you will be giving nurses one of the best possible courses to understand this dynamically growing treatment area and will give them the knowledge to improve care and support for patients and their caregivers. To apply, please fill in the online application formFind out more |
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EU STRIKES COMPROMISE ON DISPUTED
EU4HEALTH BUDGET |
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The European Commission put forward a proposal earlier this year in response to COVID-19, known as the EU4Health Programme (2021-2027), for an investment of €9.4 billion – the largest health programme ever in monetary terms – as part of the Recovery Plan to support EU countries, health organisations and NGOs. The aim was to strengthen healthcare systems and make them more resilient by tackling cross-border health threats and making medicines available and affordable. However, EU member states said in July that they were prepared only to accept a budget of €1.7 billion. Under a compromise endorsed by the European Parliament on 12 November, the new EU4Health programme will be able to spend €5.1 billion between 2021 and 2027 to support disease prevention and health promotion programmes in Member States. Although the sum is less than the EU had called for, it is far more than any earlier European health budgets. |
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| AMBITIOUS CANCER PLAN TO BE RELEASED IN JANUARY |
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| A PHARMACEUTICAL STRATEGY FOR EUROPE |
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| People across the EU expect to benefit from equal access to safe, state-of-the-art and affordable medicines to treat cancer, but innovative therapies do not reach all patients across Europe quickly or equally. Many patients do not have access to the medicines they need due to shortages or high prices. The unprecedented coronavirus pandemic has further demonstrated how important it is to have a crisis-resistant system and ensure availability of medicines under all circumstances. The Pharmaceutical strategy for Europe aims to address these issues by creating a future-proof regulatory framework that supports industry in promoting research and technologies that actually reach patients and fulfil their therapeutic needs while addressing market failures such as the EU’s increasing dependence on medicine imports. The strategy will be based on 4 specific pillars, which include legislative and non-legislative actions: - Ensuring access to affordable medicines for patients, and addressing unmet medical needs (e.g. in the areas of antimicrobial resistance, rare diseases);
- Supporting competitiveness, innovation and sustainability of the EU’s pharmaceutical industry and the development of high quality, safe, effective and greener medicines;
- Enhancing crisis preparedness and response mechanisms, diversified and secure supply chains, address medicines shortages;
- Ensuring a strong EU voice in the world, by promoting a high level of quality, efficacy and safety standards.
Find out more |
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THE ASSOCIATION OF EUROPEAN CANCER LEAGUES (ECL) HANDBOOK ON HOW TO BREAK TABOOS
AROUND CANCER AT WORK |
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| ECL has launched a new Handbook for employers illustrating how managers, supervisors and HR departments can best support their employees affected by cancer and minimise the impact of cancer (and other chronic diseases) on their organisations and everyone involved. From teachers to nurses, CEOs and hairdressers, millions of cancer patients and survivors across the EU are being stigmatised and discriminated against at work. Cancer survivors, in fact, have a 1.4 times higher risk of unemployment compared to their peers.
Download the handbook |
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THE LANCET: TOP JOURNAL STRESSES IMPORTANCE OF
CANCER NURSING |
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| Two important papers regarding oncology nursing have been published in The Lancet, Oncology, with EONS President Andreas Charalambous and Board member Wendy Oldenmenger among their authors. The two-part series aspires to put the focus on oncology nurses to show policy makers that nursing must feature highly in country- and global-level cancer control strategies and that nurses can take a leading role in cancer control plans. The first paper addresses the contribution and impact of oncology nurses by examining roles and responsibilities throughout the cancer care continuum. In the second paper, what oncology nurses do well is then set in the context of global oncology nursing workforce challenges, solutions, and the future. The oncology nursing advocacy and leadership presented align with the International Council of Nurses’ goal of strengthening nursing at the global level. Using the links below, free access to the papers is available until 5 January.
Paper 1
Paper 2 |
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BMJ BLOG: COUNTING THE INVISIBLE COST OF COVID-19
THE CANCER PANDEMIC |
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| Following the first wave of Covid-19 hospitalisations and mortality from March 2020 onwards, a range of interlocking barriers to timely presentation, diagnosis and treatment of cancer have become acutely apparent. The highly respected British Medical Journal examines the issues.
Read the BMJ blog |
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EUROHEALTHNET FACTSHEET:
THE EUROPEAN PILLAR OF SOCIAL RIGHTS |
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| The European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) sets out principles and rights to support fair and well-functioning labour markets as well as social protection and inclusion in Europe. The recently published EuroHealthNet factsheet The European Pillar of Social Rights: A key vehicle to improving health for all explains different elements of the pillar and what they mean for health, health inequalities, and a European Health Union.
Find out more |
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| EJON: A GOOD RESEARCH READ – FREE! |
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| Don’t miss the latest issue of EJON: The European Journal of Oncology Nursing is an international journal which publishes research of direct relevance to patient care, nurse education, management and policy development. As an EONS member you can read it free.
Sign up to read the journal free |
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14-16 January 2021 13th Annual EUROHNC course**NOW ONLINE**Find out more 22 February 2021
Advanced breast cancer webinar
Save the date
Find out more |
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