ONS Connect - April 2008 - (Page 22)

CAREgIvERCARE Remember to Take Time to Play [By stephanie Barrett, RN, BSN, ONSEdge Project Manager] L ife is about balance: balancing your checkbook, your busy schedules, your work and family time. A key part of that equilibrium is balancing work time and play time. As nurses, we all work hard, but how many of us truly play hard? Every day, we work to make a difference in others’ lives, and we of- ten forget how to make a difference in our own. Look for opportunities in your daily lives to play. Whether it is going for a walk or jog, playing games with your children, or playing in a softball league, play has its benefits. Make time for your favorite hobby or pick up a new one, or even take a few minutes to read a chapter in a good book. Play is not just an action of doing something but a state of mind. Play also can be incorporated in the workplace. Take a few minutes for an organized break activity, inquire about having yoga classes at work, coordinate an event to wear your favorite team jersey to work if you make a small donation to charity, or throw a holiday party for patients and staff. Whatever it is, remember to carve out time each day to engage in play. According to Kathleen Alfano, PhD (n.d.), “It’s all about having fun. When you play, you have fun; when you have fun, you laugh.” ✱ Alfano, K. (n.d.). The many benefits of play. Retrieved February 1, 2008, from http:// www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?st=665&e =expertadvice&catnamestart=p&ccat=P S_PlayWithOthers&content=81274 Second Annual CURE Extraordinary Healer Award Will Be Presented at ONS Congress CURE Media Group, the source for education for patients with cancer and publisher of CURE and Heal magazines, through financial support from Ortho Biotech Products, L.P., returns to this year’s ONS Annual Congress in Philadelphia, PA, to present the second annual CURE Extraordinary Healer Award for Oncology Nursing. This year’s award will be presented at a special reception on the evening of May 15, and registration for the event is free and open to all ONS Congress attendees. The CURE Extraordinary Healer Award tradition began in 2007 with a contest inviting readers to submit essay nominations describing the compassion and helpfulness they received from a special oncology nurse. Three essay finalists and the nurses they nominated were flown to the ONS Annual Congress in Las Vegas, NV, where more than 500 ONS members joined CURE in honoring the deserving nurses with a reception and awards ceremony. This year’s event promises to be just as inspiring, so bring a friend (and some tissues) and join us for food, music, and fun as we celebrate the field of oncology nursing! For more information about the award and online registration, visit www.onsedge.com. www.onsedge.com 22 ONS CONNECT APRIL 2008 http://www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?st=665&e=expertadvice&catnamestart=p&ccat=PS_PlayWithOthers&content=81274 http://www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?st=665&e=expertadvice&catnamestart=p&ccat=PS_PlayWithOthers&content=81274 http://www.onsedge.com http://www.onsedge.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of ONS Connect - April 2008

ONS Connect - April 2008 Contents Editor's Note Just In Work-Life Balance A Year in the Life—Month Four Web Connect Capitol Connection Notice Nursing Now Enhance Your Professionalism in Your Daily Practice Help Patients Integrate Yoga Into Cancer Care Caregiver Care Epigenetics Offers New Options for Cancer Diagnosis Working for You Calendar of Events Staying on Top

ONS Connect - April 2008

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