Reflections of My First ONS Congress

Day one of the conference can be summed up in a multitude of words: I’m speechless. The opportunity to attend my first Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Congress has been the chance of a lifetime. I have met so many nurses and people in my field that share in a collective passion of care giving and nursing.

Everywhere I go, there is so much knowledge to be gained. I just want to go from person to person, asking them to speak and record all that they have to say so that I can store it in a collective memory and be able to call upon it as I continue through school and apply it to my time as a nurse. From the seasoned nurses at 50-plus years of experience to the new grads, I feel I have something to learn from all of them.

To be honest, it has been quite overwhelming. Even though I am a Colorado native, I had only been to the conference center once before and it was many years ago. Signage is posted everywhere, but that does not help to make the building feel any smaller than it is. Once you take it all in and get to where you are going it is easier, but in the beginning it is tough to navigate.

I was lucky enough to attend the CURE Extraordinary Healer Award. While Sara Sargente took home top honors, I feel we are all winners. Not just those of us who attended the awards dinner or even this conference. I mean for all of us that are lucky enough to not only be a part of the greater nursing community, but that of oncology nursing.

I am incredibly honored to be attending what I truly hope is my first of many more ONS Congress Conferences.