{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Episode 409: An Overview of Interventional Oncology for Nurses","description":" \u201cInterventional oncology has really evolved into an important component of modern cancer care and is often described now as the fourth pillar alongside medical, surgical, and radiation oncology. The specialty now encompasses a broad spectrum of image-guided procedures that support from cancer diagnosis, treatment, to effectively managing symptoms that are caused by the disease. In other words, what we\u2019re seeing is that across the continuum of care, IO is playing a vital role,\u201d ONS member Evelyn P. Wempe, DNP, MBA, APRN, ACNP-BC, AOCNP\u00ae, CRN, NEA-BC, executive director for advanced practice providers for the oncology service line at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center in Florida, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS\u00ae, manager of oncology nursing practice at ONS, during a conversation about interventional oncology. Music Credit: \u201cFireflies and Stardust\u201d by Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0  Earn 0.5 contact hours of nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) by listening to the full recording and completing an evaluation at courses.ons.org by April 3, 2027. The planners and faculty for this episode have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose. ONS is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center\u2019s Commission on Accreditation. Learning outcome: Learners will report an increase in knowledge related to interventional oncology as a treatment modality for cancer. Episode Notes  Complete this evaluation for free NCPD.  ONS Podcast\u2122 episodes: Episode 347: Care Considerations for Radiopharmaceuticals and Theranostics in Patients With Cancer Episode 285: Transarterial Chemoembolization: The Oncology Nurse\u2019s Role ONS Voice articles: Advancements in Interventional Oncology Ease Pain and Limit Opioid Use Build Your Confidence in Understanding Vascular IO Procedures From Heat to Cold to Electrical Pulses, Here\u2019s How Percutaneous IO Can Preserve Life and Function Interventional Oncology Is an Evolving Subspecialty for Oncology Nurses Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing articles: Interventional Oncology (December 2025 supplement) Expanding the Scope: The Emergence of Interventional Oncology Nursing The Evolution of Interventional Oncology and the Specialized Role of Oncology Nursing Interventional Oncology Learning Library Interventional Oncology Huddle Card Society of Interventional Oncology Association for Radiologic and Imaging Nursing Society of Interventional Radiology: Cancer resources RadiologyInfo.org (Radiological Society of North America) To discuss the information in this episode with other oncology nurses, visit the ONS Communities. To find resources for creating an ONS Podcast club in your chapter or nursing community, visit the ONS Podcast Library. To provide feedback or otherwise reach ONS about the podcast, email pubONSVoice@ons.org. Highlights From This Episode \u201cIn the 1990s, tumor-focused procedures such as embolization and ablation began to emerge, marking a shift toward oncologic applications. The 2000s saw rapid technologic advancements that expanded the scope and volume of oncology-directed interventions, including vascular access device placement, liver-directed transcatheter therapies for tumor control, and more sophisticated ablation modalities. Today, interventional oncology, or IO, extends beyond procedural work, encompassing comprehensive clinical care through dedicated IO clinics that support patient consultations, treatment planning, and postprocedure follow-up.\u201d TS 1:50 \u201cIn the immediate postprocedure phase, the IO nurse plays a critical role in patient safety in education, and oftentimes it may not be the same nurse that\u2019s caring for the patient in the procedural environment versus the postprocedural environment. But the role is really about continuous need to assess the patient\u2019s comfort level, to ensure that there is hemodynamic stability of the patient while closely monitoring for complications such as bleeding at the access site\u2014of course, depending on the procedure\u2014if there\u2019s any hematoma formation or changes in vital signs, or if there\u2019s any pain that needs to be addressed. Most importantly is maintaining patient safety in that immediate phase after the procedure.\u201d TS 8:07 \u201cBefore an IO procedure, both teams really must review the patient\u2019s clinical status. There has to be a clear understanding of: Is this patient ready to undergo a procedure? Is there any necessary imaging that needs to be done, as well as laboratory review and any systemic treatments, that may affect procedural planning? And oftentimes, in my experience, really, the oncology nurses are the ones really speaking with each other based on what the decision has been from both teams working together and communicating this to the patient.\u201d TS 13:49 \u201cI think the oncology nurse needs to assess the patient\u2019s baseline understanding of interventional oncology. I often began my visits with a simple, open-ended question, \u2018Tell me why you\u2019re here today.\u2019 This allowed me to gauge their knowledge of the specialty and the purpose of the visit with the IO team. And in many cases, patients were unfamiliar with interventional oncology, which meant education needed to start with an explanation of what IO is and how it fits into their cancer care journey. Once that foundation was established, I was then able to introduce information about the specific procedure and its role in their overall treatment plan. And we can work together to establish goals of care and health. Having this approach ensured patients were informed, engaged, and better prepared for the procedure ahead.\u201d TS 16:06 \u201cAs nurses explore career options, interventional oncology is definitely one to consider. It really unites technology and innovation, and I think that\u2019s where we\u2019re heading with health care, with so much advancement in research and science. There\u2019s definitely a place for oncology nurses in this space, and it would be great to see that continue to flourish.\u201d TS 24:23 ","author_name":"The ONS Podcast","author_url":"http:\/\/onsvoice.libsyn.com\/website","html":"