European Cancer Nursing Day (ECND22)

Supporting cancer nurses in caring for themselves and their patients

This year’s European Cancer Nursing Day (ECND22) took place on Wednesday 18 May. Its theme was: ‘Supporting cancer nurses in caring for themselves and their patients’.
A powerful social media campaign – #ECND22Go4SelfCare – saw thousands of cancer nurses across Europe celebrate the day and draw attention to the importance of self-care in the workplace.

From Spain to Serbia, Italy to Ireland and Croatia to Cyprus – Cancer nurses came together to celebrate ECND22!

During the pandemic, existing issues related to burnout, stress and resilience have increased, resulting in many leaving the profession. The campaign focused on the importance of self-care and well-being for cancer nurses, on occupational health, and on retention and recruitment – all of which impact on the quality of patient care.

In Dublin, cancer nurses started the day with a special mindfulness session to support their well-being at work.

A toolkit of banners, posters and key messages was available to download and support cancer nurses in their ECND22 activities. They adapted the resources and shared their own messages and pictures from the day:

EC Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, Stella Kyriakides, honoured ECND22 with a special video message in support of the work of cancer nurses throughout Europe.

In a personal thank you for the outstanding commitment, sacrifice and ‘nothing short of heroic efforts’ of cancer nurses, especially during the extra burden of Covid-19, she said: “It is only right that you are putting your own well-being under the spotlight today and I am delighted to be part of that! To look after your patients you must first look after yourselves.”

To mark ECND22 the EONS Board and Working Groups gathered in Zagreb, Croatia, for a series of special events.

A Roundtable Discussion, including representatives from the Croatian Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education, and the Nursing Council President, with the theme: “Challenges in Cancer Care and Cancer Nursing during and beyond the pandemic” considered the uptake of EONS Cancer Nursing Education Framework and cancer nursing recognition in Croatia. The discussion emphasised the importance of educating specialised oncology nurses, which directly impacts quality of patient care.

The participants in the Roundtable Discussion included representatives from the Croatian Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education. They were welcomed to ECND22 by EONS President Johan De Munter (right)

EONS Board Member Nikolina Dodlek, who is based in Croatia and organised this important discussion, said: “We share an ambition to achieve the best patient outcomes and cancer nurses have a vital role in it. We want to bring the best for our cancer nurses as well and this roundtable will bring us closer to this goal. Cancer nurses are very important members of multidisciplinary team where they have key roles in improving quality care, reinforcing safety, increasing efficiency and demonstrating leadership. We aim to develop specialised cancer nursing training and education for Croatian cancer nurses modeled on the Cancer Nursing Educational Framework for European Oncology cancer nurses.”

ECND22 Competition – Make a video and win a free place at EONS15 in Paris!

AND THE WINNER IS…
Congratulations to the oncology nurses working at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) in Lausanne, Switzerland! They won the ECND22 competition with their video about an outpatient oncology nurse entering her notes at the end of a tough day. As she sits down, fatigue takes over her body and her mind wanders off for a moment … “How much would I enjoy a refreshing lemonade by the lake… or a trip, somewhere far… or some yoga to relieve some tension… or a day in the beauty salon ….”

This humorous video shows the importance of taking care of oneself set against the background of an oncology nurse’s daily life. To shoot the video, different units of the oncology department at CHUV participated. The team cohesion allowed the production of this video and was a great opportunity to deepen inter-service links. The makers of the video said: “In the end, this video was also a way to take care of ourselves thanks to a fun shared moment among the team, as well as a way to make our colleagues feel valued and recognized…. It is for all oncology nurses: do not just think about it, take the time to care for yourself and you will take better care of the others.”
The prize was free entry to EONS15 in Paris, September 2022.

View some short videos celebrating ECND22 and highlighting our key messages, from EONS Board and
Working Groups:

* View more ECND22 videos here

ECND22 was organised by the ECND22 Task Group

Support given by the Cancer Nursing Fund, managed by the King Baudouin Foundation, for four cancer nurses to attend ECND22.