Each year, oncology nurses from across Canada gather at the Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology/Association canadienne des infirmières en oncologie (CANO/ACIO) conference to connect, share knowledge and advance their expertise in oncology nursing, patient engagement and interdisciplinary practice.
At the 2024 CANO/ACIO conference in St. John's, Newfoundland, BC Cancer nurses made their mark, hosting innovative presentations and workshops that showcased their leadership in advancing oncology nursing excellence.
BC Cancer nursing was well-represented on the national stage at the 2024 CANO Conference in St. John's Newfoundland in Oct. 2024.
Sharing knowledge and expertise
Through workshops, oral presentations and poster presentations, BC Cancer nurses led discussions and presented research in the domains of clinical practice, education, leadership, quality, and research.
These workshops and presentations focused on several key themes:
Patient-Centered Care and Access
- Bonnie Leung and Joyce Tse presented about caring for older adults with cancer, based on their work at BC Cancer – Vancouver.
- BC Cancer – Victoria nurses Laurie Barnhardt, Shona Jurak and Jill Cowlrick presented on improving access to oncology sexual health and intimacy care.
- BC Cancer – Vancouver nurses Orla Adams, Amira Lalani and Carolyn Kei delivered a workshop to enhance oncology nursing care for patients with pancreatic cancer.
- Provincial clinical nurse specialist Scott Beck also presented on the background and development of the chemotherapy waitlist nurse coordinator role for supporting access to systemic therapy.
Pictured: Laurie Barnhardt, Shona Jurak and Jill Cowlrick, nurse practitioners at BC Cancer - Victoria, presenting at the 2024 Annual CANO Conference.
Equity and Diversity in Cancer Care
- Clinical nurse specialists Scott Beck and Jagbir Kaur, along with executive director Leah Lambert from the provincial Nursing and Allied Health Research and Knowledge Translation team shared research and facilitated discussions regarding equity-oriented oncology nursing, including substance use stigma in cancer care and gendered experiences of caregivers.
- Jagbir also shared her research focused on examining patient experiences and satisfaction amongst South Asian cancer patients in B.C.
Professional Development and Workforce Optimization
- Dana Dalgleish, a nurse from BC Cancer – Kelowna, presented along with BC Cancer – Prince George nurse Miranda Doerkson, Jagbir Kaur and Leah Lambert on specialty certification in oncology nursing.
- Leah and Jagbir also shared their policy research regarding clinical nurse specialist workforce implementation and optimization across BC Cancer.
- Senior practice leaders Joy Bunsko and Taslin Velani, along with clinical nurse educator Nida Alam presented their work to optimize the role of the licensed practical nurse at BC Cancer.
- Nurses Donna Mitchell, Margaret Ko and Tanis Wong representing provincial programs presented on their work to develop virtual nursing oncology care across B.C.
- Digital health leader and oncology nurse Sam Hackett conducted a workshop aimed at developing nursing informatics networks amongst national oncology nursing colleagues.
Pictured: Miranda Doerkson, registered nurse at BC Cancer - Prince George, presenting at the 2024 Annual CANO Conference.
Innovation in Nursing Practice
- Clinical nurse specialists Heather Kilgour and Charissa Chiu, along with Leah Lambert, presented their work to develop and implement nurse-led advance care planning in cancer care.
- Charissa also joined clinical nurse specialist colleague Andrea Knox, nurse Xiru Liu and Leah Lambert to present regarding BC Cancer's novel Planetary Health Internship Program for nurses.
- BC Cancer – Surrey nurse Shauna Remin shared her work involving photovoice exploration to navigate the meaning of body image among patients with breast cancer.
- Last, BC Cancer – Prince George nurse Brittany Freeman and interim professional practice director Megan Crosby shared their work to implement a nicotine replacement therapy pilot program.
Pictured: Shauna Remin, radiation therapy nurse at BC Cancer - Surrey, presenting her poster at the 2024 Annual CANO Conference.
Pictured: Brittany Freeman, clinical nurse educator at BC Cancer - Prince George, presenting at the 2024 Annual CANO Conference.
Celebrating leadership and awards
BC Cancer nurses are actively shaping the future of oncology nursing through their leadership roles with CANO. By serving on committees such as the Research Committee, BC Chapter Executive and Recognition of Excellence Committee, BC Cancer nurses are fostering collaboration and contributing to the advancement of oncology nursing practice and policy. Their involvement at both provincial and national levels has strengthened partnerships with other jurisdictions, promoted knowledge exchange, and supported efforts to enhance equitable and high-quality cancer care across Canada.
BC Cancer - Kelowna clinical nurse specialist Andrea Knox was recognized for her contributions to oncology nursing education, receiving the CANO-Pfizer Award of Excellence in Nursing Education.
BC Cancer nurses were also honoured for their contributions to the annual conference:
- Joy Bunsko, Taslin Velani and Nida Alam won first place in the Clinical Practice category of the CANO Chapter Poster Awards for their presentation, "Role Optimization of the Licensed Practical Nurse at BC Cancer".
- Scott Beck's poster presentation titled "The Gendered Experiences of Primary Caregivers of People Living/Dying with Colorectal Cancer: Implication for Oncology Nursing Praxis" was awarded third place in the Research category of the CANO Chapter Poster Awards.
Their presentations were recognized for their relevance to oncology nursing, innovation, and presentation quality.
Pictured: Andrea Knox receiving an Award of Excellence in Nursing Education at the 2024 CANO Annual Conference.
Through their efforts, the CANO conference nursing delegates from BC Cancer showcased our organization's commitment to advancing oncology nursing excellence, and influencing national cancer care professional practice and research through evidence-based, patient-centered, collaborative and innovative approaches.
Congratulations to the award winners, speakers and poster presenters!