Meet the Candidates
The ONCC Nominating Committee has slated the following candidates for election to the ONCC Board of Directors. Nurses who are certified by ONCC as of October 7, 2009 will be asked to vote for one candidate.

The election will open on November 5, 2009. Certified nurses will receive an email with a link to a personalized online ballot, or a letter containing instructions on how to cast their vote online. All voting must be completed online; paper ballots will not be available. Voting must be completed by December 10, 2009.

After the election closes, one voter will be randomly selected by the election administrator to win a $100 gift card. All votes will be confidential; only the name of the gift card winner will be released to ONCC.

The order in which the candidate’s names appear was determined by computerized random selection. The candidate’s names will appear in the same order on the ballot. In addition to the leadership experience listed, each candidate was asked to describe how he/she would fulfill/advance the mission of ONCC, which is to promote and provide oncology nursing certification for the enhancement of patient care and professional practice. Each candidate’s response is included below.

Cheryl Lacasse, MS, RN, OCN® Clinical Professor University of Arizona College of Nursing Tucson, AZ

Leadership Experience

• Nominating Committee, ONCC, Member, 2004-2007
• Research Advisory Panel–Evidence-Based Practice Group, ONS, Member, 2004-2006
• OCN Test Development Committee, ONCC, Chair 2001-2004, Member 1997-2001
• Oncology Certification Test Development Process Improvement Task Force, ONCC, Member 2002-2003
• Oncology Nursing Certification Advocates Program, ONCC, Member, 2004-Present
• Leadership Council, American Cancer Society Southern Arizona Division, Member, 2000-2004

Mission Statement
Certification has a major impact on maintaining excellence in oncology nursing practice in a challenging healthcare environment. My commitment to promoting oncology nursing certification has spanned over 20 years and included active involvement at both the local and national levels. My experiences as a clinician, educator, and researcher have provided rich opportunities for me to work with oncology certified nurses who contribute innovative ideas and insights to clinical practice and professional issues. These nurses are exemplary role models in demonstrating the value of oncology certification in delivering quality oncology care. In addition, I support the importance of developing professional networks with certified nurses across specialties such as critical care and gerontology to enhance the oncology nurse’s ability to meet the complex care needs of today’s patients. As an ONCC Advocate, I promote the value of certification within the oncology nursing community, healthcare institutions, and to patients and their families. While serving on the OCN^® Test Development Committee, I listened carefully to the voice of oncology nurses and used their valuable contributions to enhance the test development process. In addition, the opportunity to participate in ONCC committees has enhanced my knowledge of the certification process and the leadership needed to maintain a quality certification organization. As a member of the ONCC Board of Directors, I hope to make a broader contribution to the sustained future of oncology certification by providing innovative insights into current practices in healthcare and educational perspectives in oncology nursing, certification, and the nursing profession.

Anna Vioral, MSN, MEd, OCN® Oncology Quality Coordinator West Penn Allegheny Health System Pittsburgh, PA

Leadership Experience

• OCN^® Test Development Committee, ONCC, Member, 2004-2009
• OCN^® Item Writer, ONCC, 2002
• Website Editorial Board, ONS, Associate Editor, 2009 – Present
• OnStat, Oncology Nursing Society, Member, 2002-2009
• Greater Pittsburgh Chapter of ONS, Director at Large 2006-2009, Newsletter Editor 2009-2009, Government Relations 2005-2007
• Cancer Care Committee, West Penn Allegheny Health System, Member 2002-2009

Mission Statement
Professional certification evokes values of professionalism, competence, and commitment indicating to employers, colleagues, and clients that nurses have mastered a specialized body of knowledge and skills.  However, one of the most challenging aspects of oncology nursing in today’s’ healthcare arena has become maintaining excellence as oncology specialty units are dissipating and survivorship is flourishing. The increasingly diversifying demands and challenges placed on oncology nurses underscore the importance of maintaining competency and increasing the level of expertise. 

Therefore, certification is paramount in advancing excellence in oncology nursing.  My commitment to educate and uphold excellence in oncology nursing has spanned over 20 years in a variety of roles including clinician, educator, researcher, and coordinator.  In addition, my involvement at the local and national levels has further enriched this excellence. These opportunities have enabled me to gain valuable insights into oncology nursing as well as to integrate oncology nurses at all levels of practice to a higher level of excellence through promotion of oncology certification.

I believe that becoming a member of the ONCC Board of Directors, I would be instrumental in the advancement of certification in oncology nursing.  As a member of the ONCC Board of Directors, I look forward to advocating oncology certification, exemplifying the value of certification, upholding the integrity of certification, providing visionary contributions, and demonstrating a provocative role in promoting excellence in a more formalized leadership role to further enhance quality patient care and professional practice.

Victoria Wochna Loerzel, PhD, RN, OCN® Assistant Professor University of Central Florida College of Nursing Orlando, FL

Leadership Experience

• OCN^® Test Development Committee, ONCC, Member, 2003-2007
• CBCNTM Item Writer, ONCC, 2008
• OCN^® Item Writing, Item Writing Mentor, 2004-2007
• Central Florida Chapter of ONS, President –Elect, President, Past-President 2005-2007
• Patient Services Committee, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Central Florida Chapter, 2002-2009
• Institutional Review Board, University of Central Florida, Member, 2007-present

Mission Statement
Certification is an important milestone in the career of the oncology nurse.   It is a symbol of excellence, advocacy and integrity.  It sends an important message to our patients, coworkers and employers that we are committed to our profession and the people we care for.  Certification in oncology has always played a vital role in my career as an oncology nurse.  I earned OCN^® certification in 1996 and became involved with ONCC in 2004.  As an OCN^® and CBCN™ Item Writer and OCN^® Test Development Committee Member, I was able to support certification by training oncology nurses to write test questions and working with others to develop fair and balanced exams.  Supporting oncology certification in this manner was a wonderful learning experience that has made me a better educator and advocate for staff and patients.  If elected to the ONCC Board of Directors, I will continue to promote education and certification and work to help shape the future of oncology certification.  My goal will always be to act in the best interest of the oncology nurse seeking certification in order to enhance patient care and professional practice.

Michael Smart, RN, BSN, OCN® Certified Oncology Nurse Huntsville Hospital Huntsville, AL

Leadership Experience

• Editorial Board, ONCC, Member 2006-2009
• OCN^® Item Writer, ONCC, 2006
• Oncology Nursing Certification Advocate, ONCC, 2006 – Present
• Oncology Nursing Forum Editorial Board, ONS, Associate Editor, 2008-Present
• Chemotherapy SIG Newsletter, ONS, Editor, 2006-2009
• Chemotherapy/Biotherapy Guidelines, ONS, Contributor, 2008

Mission Statement
A convert to the cause of nursing certification, I have come to see how the process of becoming certified greatly benefits the nursing profession, nurses themselves, and (most importantly) the patients who entrust themselves to our care. If chosen to serve as an ONCC Board member, my own goals include helping the organization build on prior achievements and move toward an era in which the certified oncology nurse is more the norm than the exception… that certification becomes the expectation rather than the exception among those who choose to call themselves oncology nurses. There are many barriers for nurses considering certification. While fear of the examination is certainly a barrier that often needs to be addressed, it is also important to realize how cost barriers are very real for many nurses. In the current economic environment, there is certainly the risk for employers to fail to provide support or pull back on support of certification that was given in the past. Now, perhaps more than ever, it is imperative for ONCC to provide nurses with the tools, information, and support to ensure the value of a certified nurse is recognized by employers, the public, and nurses in general. I hope to provide a voice for ONCC to continue moving in a direction that encourages more nurses to take the journey of becoming certified and ensures the nurse certified in oncology feels rewarded for having gone through the effort and never feels taken for granted.