OCN^® of the Year
Christine G. Gatlin, RN, BSN, OCN^®, MHA
Unit Manager Oncology Services, Baton Rouge General Medical Center
Gatlin supervises two inpatient units, two outpatient infusion centers, a Radiation Oncology Center, Cancer Research, and Tumor Registry on two campuses. Oncology certified nurses are employed in all areas (except the registry, where certified registrars are employed) because of Gatlin's emphasis on certification. In less than six years, more than 60% of the nurses have become oncology certified. Gatlin discusses certification during the interview process and makes it a goal at the employee's first annual review to become certified within the coming year. In addition to reimbursement for certification, she successfully lobbied her institution for a certification differential, for certification credentials to be added to name badges, and for on-site review courses and study groups. In 2002, Gatlin initiated a unit performance improvement project to improve pain management, which she then developed into the multidisciplinary Louisiana Pain Initiative. She implemented the "Power Over Pain-Collaborative Community Awareness Program" to teach nurses and other professionals how to talk with patients about pain and dispel myths about managing pain. More than 900 nurses have been educated through the program. She obtained funding for a statewide survey on pain, coordinated a statewide media campaign to release its findings, obtained a Governor's proclamation for September as "Pain Awareness Month," and developed the first statewide train-the-trainer program on pain. She also serves as President elect of the Baton Rouge chapter of ONS.

AOCN^® of the Year
Carlton G. Brown, RN, MSN, AOCN^®
Clinical Head Nurse, US Army/Walter Reed Army Medical Center
In his role at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Brown's practice includes all of the five roles of an advanced practice nurse (clinical, consultation, education, research, and administration). He manages the oncology/bone marrow transplant unit and an outpatient chemotherapy unit that has approximately 1000 visits per month. He coordinates care for inpatient chemotherapy and bone marrow transplant patients on a daily basis. He educates the nursing staff on cancer treatment and symptom management. Brown created a Chemotherapy Administration Course, which he teaches four times per year, and a Cancer and Symptom Management Course, which he teaches twice per year. As an End of Life Nurse Education Consortium graduate, he is qualified to teach end-of-life and palliative care, and presents a course on end-of-life care for the Army. He established, and continues to coordinate the chemotherapy qualification process for inpatient and outpatient nurses, based on ONS guidelines. He was the principal investigator for a $130,000 funded research study, which measured the effectiveness of different teaching methods on testicular self-exam among active duty soldiers. Final study results are pending publication, and the outcome of his work was a 12-minute professionally produced video on testicular cancer and self-exam that can be distributed to every male military member entering or currently serving on active duty, thereby educating thousands of men who are at risk for this disease. Brown is also completing a full-time PhD program at the University of Utah, and is a contributing editor to the ONS News. Brown encourages certification in a number of ways, including insisting his AOCN credentials be included with his name to help educate nurses, physicians, patients, and other healthcare professionals about certification. He encourages certification among his nursing staff, teaches certification review courses, and coaches nurses in preparing for certification tests. In less than three years, he has increased the percentage of certified nurses at his facility from 0 to 30%. He also participates in ONCC's Oncology Nursing Certification Advocates Program.

CPON^® of the Year
Julia O'Malley Stepenske, RN, BSN, CPON^®
Expert Nurse, Ambulatory Stem Cell Unit
Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago
Stepenske has been a pediatric oncology nurse for 7 years, a goal she developed at the age of 15 while being treated for cancer. She has molded her own experience into a tool for educating patients, peers, and the public about childhood cancer. She serves as a preceptor for senior nursing students, conducts several chemotherapy classes per year, presents an orientation class for new nurses, serves on her institution's education committee, and teaches at a regional CPON^® review course. She regularly presents educational sessions at Association of Pediatric Oncology Nurses conferences and chapter events. She serves as a research assistant for a national study on teen survivorship funded by the National Cancer Institute, and frequently speaks on the psychosocial impact of childhood cancer survivorship to both professionals and patient/family groups. She also lobbies for childhood cancer research at the national level as a participant in the Childhood Cancer Alliance. In 2002, Stepenske co-founded, with one of her patients, the Staehely-O'Malley Cancer Survivor Foundation, to educate and empower pediatric cancer survivors and promote research.

Employer Recognition Award
Providence Holy Cross Medical Center
Mission Hills, California
Providence Holy Cross Medical Center (PHCMC) encourages certification by providing tuition reimbursement for certification examinations and renewals for both full time and part time nursing staff. The hospital provides a free, year-long series of monthly oncology continuing education programs, an OCN^® Study Group, study materials, and the ONS Cancer Chemotherapy Course. PHCMC recognizes certified nurses by hosting a celebration upon initial certification, displaying a congratulatory banner in the facility, publishing the names of certified nurses in its hospital newsletter, recognizing certified nurses during Nurse's Week and at various meetings, inviting all certified nurses to be recognized at a special reception, presenting oncology certified nurses with credential pins, and displaying a list of certified nurses for all hospital personnel and visitors to see. PHSMC rewards all certified nurses, both full time and part time, with an annual RN Certification bonus. The hospital encourages nurses to participate in professional organizations, provides paid time off for nurses to participate in professional activities and committees, and actively supports the efforts of their representative to the Oncology Nursing Certification Advocates Program. OCN^® certification is preferred for all oncology RN positions, and is included in all advertisements for positions and job descriptions. Currently, 33% of the nurses on the oncology unit are ONCC certified, and the hospital has established a goal of having at least 51% of the nurses certified by 2005 - a goal they expect to surpass in 2004.