Get involved with your local San Diego Oncology Nursing Society!
This newsletter contains lots of information to keep you "in the know!"
View this email in your browser

Happy New Year!!!
Resolution: Get involved with SDONS!

Your 2016Leadership Team!
2016 is a Leap Year, and we encourage you to let this be your Take a LEAP this year to jump into SDONS with both feet! We would love to see you at our meetings, at volunteer opportunities, in the community, and hear what you have to say. This is YOUR year!
Photo from January 9th Leadership Team Retreat: Above from bottom left: Leah Marquardt(2016 President),Dawn Huckabone(Fundraising Chair),Susie Bailey(Program Chair),Ellen Carr,Eva Bariuan(past treasurer)
Top row from left:Laura Sauer(Newsletter Editor),Sheila Bedard(Membership Co-chair),Gabriela Lacatus(President Elect),Riitta Sturgill(Membership Co-chair),Sandi Weyerhaeuser(Membership Chair), andMeloddie Brooks(Past-President).
2016 Leadership Team
Ballots were sent out on December 7th, 2015, and winners were announced on December 16th. For those of you who missed it, we are proud to announce our 2016 Leadership Team!
President:Leah Marquardt
President Elect:Gabriela Lacatus
Treasurer:Emily Purdy
Secretary:Margo Jauregui
Program Chair:Susie Bailey
Membership Chair:Sandi Weyerhaeuser
Community Outreach and Student Development Chairs:Kim Rappolt and Cindy Trujillo
Nominating Chair:Could it be you?
Fundraising Chair:Dawn Huckabone
E-Newsletter:Laura Sauer
Technology Communications Chair:Laura Sauer
Past President:Meloddie Brooks

Susie Baileywas nominated for the Gracia Award for 2015. Susie started her career as a new RN at UCSD Thornton on 3 west, and within weeks volunteered as one of our Program Chairs with SDONS. With a smile, she took on a momentous task, and quickly learned the ropes, getting our dinner meetings in order, planned and coordinated. This is no easy task. It is for her gumption, positive outlook, and heart for not only oncology patients, but for oncology nurses that earned her the nomination. This honor comes with a scholarship, and her name will be featured on the Gracia Award Plaque. Congratulations, Susie!
Letter from our past-President,Meloddie Brooks:
The 2nd Annual 2015 Christmas Tree Give-Away was another success. Six decorated trees adorned with $5-$20 Gift Card ornaments were graciously donated by the members of the SDONS society. We believed that one worthy patient from each Major Hospital in San Diego should get a Gift of Giving from nurses who wanted to uplift a patient's spirits, especially when spending the holidays in the hospital. Every year we give a tree to someone deserving, and this holds true for this year's recipient, Emily Stone. She was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in June 2015 during her last semester of school. She is an outstanding mother of two children, a devoted military wife, and an aspiring nursing student to graduate from an Accelerated Bachelors program at National University. Emily Stone has been a patient at UCSD Thornton Hospital since the summer of 2015 and had to undergo chemotherapy as an inpatient and therefore attended most of her classes online for this unforeseen circumstance. She would often do her nursing class assignments on her bed or sitting up at her bedside table. She once said she did experience "chemo brain" while studying and her nurses would remark, "who wouldn't when getting high doses of Cytarabine?" Everyone knows treating a cancer patient takes a special kind of nurse, but a cancer patient who becomes a nurse is an extraordinary special kind of person. Emily Stone wants to specialize in oncology nursing and SDONS would have a great opportunity to mentor her into our Oncology Nursing Society. She will be graduating this Spring 2016 and will apply for the ONS student membership and is excited to become a SDONS member. She is greatful for the early morning Christmas Gift Card Tree surprise and is thankful and honored for SDONS support. Thanks to all our nurses who support the Giving Tree event and hopefully this December we have more donations to give to more deserving cancer patients like Emily!

This year, SDONS teamed up with each of the hospital systems to provide gift card trees to deserving patients. At the Vendor Fair, over $400 was donated in gift cards and cash, so each patient from each hospital system received at least $65 of gift cards. The trees were delivered during the week of December 6th. Photo above was edited to add glasses to protect the patient's identity, and the patient asked that we put the photo in the Newsletter.
From the patient’s mother at Scripps: “Please, please tell each and every member thank you! Thank you, thank you, and thank you from the bottom of our heart! You cannot imagine what we have gone through. We had to use some of her college education money for the hospital bills, and we want to pay it back to her. She was going to go into business management, but after all this, and seeing you nurses do everything that you do, she wants to be a nurse now. This can help us so much. Please tell everyone who gave to us thank you.”

Above photo: Left to Right:Leah Marquardt, Laura Sauer,Patient who
requested photo to be in newsletter (edited to protect identity), patient's spouse,Amanda Tarzia, Meloddie Brooks, Miyuki Nimmo, and Susie Bailey.
From the patient at UCSD: “Thank you all so much! I am going to pay this forward someday when I have beat this stupid cancer.”
You can watch the news report here:

FromDonna Engelbert(pictured above on the left, withCindy Connon right) at Palomar Downtown Campus: “I dropped off the Christmas tree to our oncology patient today (December 14th). They were VERY grateful. The patient is in the ICU. He mouthed ‘thank you’ as he is intubated and squeezed my hand several times. Very emotional. Thanks to ONS for allowing us to take a little bit of cheer to this devastated oncology family.”

(Above:Laura Sauerwith Balboa RNs (potential new members!), andSoon Dalton).
From RN’s at Balboa: “This is such a wonderful surprise for her. She was pregnant and they lost their baby while they were going through this. Her husband is still working, but it’s been so hard. We knew it was going to be a hard Christmas for her. It was so nice to see her smile again. It’s been a while since we saw that.”

Kaiser nurses getting excited to deliver their tree: From left to right:Eunice Tolentino, Cindy Trujillo, Nancy Grossman, Joan Kitson-HartandLeah Marquardt.




Paula Muehlbauerrepresenting the VA for SDONS. Thank you, Paula!

(Kaiser Nurses: Above from the 2015 December Vendor Fair:Leah Marquardt, Sheila Bedard, Cindy Trujillo, Nancy Grossman, Clare McLean, Joan Kitson-HartandMargarita Jauregui)
Starting this month, January dinner meeting-start implementing "From the Heart" stories. Each month, we will be taking a small amount of time to get involved and participate in our meetings. This month, the topic is "A Nurse's Story". Start thinking now of how you got into Oncology Nursing. This time will be to bring us back to the heart and soul of our profession, and will help us refocus on our calling.
We are still looking for a 2015 Nominating chair.You will have plenty of support, and get to know a lot of people. Did we mention it looks great on a resume? Another perk...Leadership team members get an automatic $500 for volunteering!
Nadia Youssef, our 2015 Program Chairs writes the following about what she did with her $500 for serving:
"I will be using the remainder of my SD ONS board member scholarship towards the tuition of continuing my education from an ADN to an MSN degree at Grand Canyon University. The reasons why I decided to continue my nursing education was to have the opportunity to not only advance my career, but also expand my knowledge in the field of nursing, and in specialized areas such as oncology. It will also enhance my critical thinking skills and the ability to be versatile and work in different areas of healthcare. I am looking forward to what the future of nursing has to offer!"
To become a member (or renew your membership), please go to

Leah Marquardt and Meloddie Brookspose with some of the donations for the 2015 December Vendor Fair raffle items!
Reminders:
2016 Monthly Dinner Programs and Meetings:
SDONS meetings are always held on the 3rdThursday of each month in varying locations. You can find the calendar at below. Location will be announced usually the first week of the month, if not before, and RSVP’s are required by the Tuesday before the meeting. We understand things can happen, so if you ever need to cancel, please be sure to send an email o cancel so you are not added to the “No Show” list. The first “No Show” we will contact you to remind you of our policy. The 2nd“No Show” will result in a reminder, and you will be placed on the wait list for the following dinner. We want to be sure our seats are filled, and hope to never have a wait list. As it is, we have not had to put anyone on the wait list since October of 2014! Woo hoo! So, now is the time to start coming again.

Laura SauerandLeah Marquardtat the 2015 December Vendor Fair
Registration for the 41stannual ONS Congress is already open! This year, Congress will be held in San Antonio, Texas from April 28ththrough May 1st. We would like to plan to have all the San Diego Chapter members meet up for a group photo, and we will be passing around sign-up sheets for those attending to be able to connect with other SDONS members there. Also, if you take pictures, please send them o be featured in our newsletter! Don’t forget to mark your calendar for next year in Colorado!
Some Exciting News from our local Hospitals!
Scripps updates: Scripps Anderson in Torrey Pines has just opened a pharmacy on site for patients to be able to pick up their prescriptions at the same location as their appointments.
UCSD update: The entire La Jolla campus is basically under construction! New parking lots, new structures and new offices are cropping up everywhere!
Palomar update: Coming next spring, the Palomar Downtown Campus infusion center is being moved to the Poway campus and the old building will be restructured to meet earthquake standards.

Above: Meloddie Brooks and Suzy Rundell enjoying the 2015 December Vendor Fair in style!
If you have been a member in the past and you took some time off, now is the time to get back involved. We challenge you to put at least 1 dinner meeting on your calendar this year and make that resolution to attend that one. Then go above and beyond and go to another! We guarantee that you will be glad you did! Need some motivation? Here’s our top 5 reasons:
  1. Great chance to network!
  2. The education is amazing!
  3. Delicious food, drool!
  4. Relaxing over a glass of wine, or your favorite drink!
  5. Scholarships=free money!


Ellen Carr, Leah Marquardt, Nancy Grossman and Joan Kitson-Hart looking dashing at the Vendor Fair.
Felirose Dolor, winner of the May Scholarship drawing for $400, wrote, “To me Magnet means excellence, empowerment, and innovative patient care. Thanks to the SDONS scholarship, this past October I was given the opportunity to attend this year's ANCC National Magnet Conference held in Atlanta, GA., the largest nursing conference to date! Over 9,300 nurses came together to celebrate and recognize new and re-designated Magnet organizations across the nation.
In a span of just three days, there were 135 concurrent workshops, 150 posters and presenters, 4 general keynote sessions, numerous vendors, an art gallery, and so much more.
As an outpatient infusion clinic nurse, I attended the workshops most relevant to my practice and am excited to share and implement all the takeaways and best practice with my teammates here at home.
In addition to the general keynote sessions and poster presentations, I attended 10 workshops which addressed the latest on topics such as: hazards of nurse fatigue, staffing, palliative care, reducing C. Diff, successful magnet site visits, healthy workplace behaviors, peer support programs, leader/mentorship programs, and improving patient experience – all in just three short days! I slept a little, learned a lot, had a blast, and met some great nurses along the way.
The conference was an exciting and inspiring/stimulating experience. The energy was contagious. I arrived not knowing anyone, but everyday had the opportunity to meet exceptional people from both my facility and from all over the country. It was a truly valuable experience networking and learning from others in my field/profession.
I have already started talking to other nurses and hope to implement projects soon! The Magnet conference has definitely inspired and energized me to improve my practice and continue to do my part in promoting the exceptionalism of our facility.”

Sandi WeyerhaeuserandGeline Tamayohelping to get everyone checked in at the Vendor Fair
Take a leap...Literally!
Here are some Oncology Related Runs for you to lace up for:
March 5, 2016 (Saturday):2016 San Diego Undy Run/Walksponsored by the California Colorectal Cancer Coalition at Mission Bay Park starting at 8:00 am, registration starts at 7:00 am. $35 entry fee

April 2, 2016 (Saturday):11thAnnual Free Clinic Phun Run 5Kat the UCSD Biomedical Library Lawn at 9:30 am

August 2016(date to be determined):San Diego Free To Breathein partnership for Lung Cancer Survival

September 2016(date to be determined):Purple Stridesponsored by Pancreatic Cancer Action Network

October, 2016(date to be determined):Making Strides against Breast Cancerof San Diego sponsored by American Cancer Society


Josh Carter, Geline TamayoandEva Baruianhaving a blast listening to Dr. Steven Eisenberg at the Vendor Fair.
Indian Hills Camp is looking for RN's to come out and volunteer for a few days or even a few weeks this summer for "cuts, scrapes, bruises, bumps and hugs!"
"Are you ready to be challenged and to grow while watching God transform lives? Are you eager to live and share your life in a community of believers who are passionate for Jesus, just like you? Then join us this summer as a Camp RN/LVN! Summer camp nurses serve in the First Aid Station caring for "hurts", inside and out of campers and summer missionary staff. Camp nurses will dispense the prescribed medications and supervise college-aged Health Care Assistants (HCA's) in administering first aid to campers and giving lots of hugs As a nurse, you will not find a more rewarding local summer mission. Come an join us by serving and participating in this great medical ministry opportunity! Volunteers are needed daily, or 2-3 times a week for morning, mealtimes or bedtimes. Contact Angela at to sign up."
Indian Hills Camp is located in Jamul, CA. For more details, or to ask questions, you can email Laura at or call 619-804-0195. Laura has been volunteering for the past 5 years there, and LOVES it!

Here’s whatKelly Bassdid with her $500 for being our 2015 Secretary:
I was able to use funds from San Diego ONS to purchase study guides and take the VA-BC exam, which I passed.
As an Oncology and PICC nurse, it is very important to know how to safely insert, infuse, and trouble shoot all types of vascular access. Earning the VA-BC demonstrates a level of competency which in turns offers fellow nurses a resource to turn to as well as offers patients a certain comfort level knowing I have been certified in vascular access.
Without the ONS funding, I would not have been able to purchase the study guides or sit in for the exam.
Kelly Bass
Would you like to win a scholarship too? It’s so easy! Just send a sentence or 2 bout what you would like to use your winnings toward, such as a CEU course, Congress, or other oncology related event/topic. Winners are chosen during the months of February, April, September and November. You must be present to win, and the winners will be announced at the dinner for that month. If you win, we just need a short article telling us what you learned or gained from this scholarship, along with your receipt. Good luck!

Cindy JonesandSharon O'Maryrepresenting the VA hospital
Calendar of Events
Dinner meetings and leadership meetings are listed on the following dates, as well as on the Virtual Community at do not need to be on the leadership team to attend, and we would love to have you! This is a chance to listen to the planning, and have your voice heard. We get a lot accomplished, and always, always have fun!
February 18th:February is a Leap Year this year!!! Scholarship Drawing!!!