For Immediate Release
June 2, 2009

BUFFALO, NY – Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) was honored with the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC) 2009 Employer Recognition Award. ONCC recognizes one organization each year for its sustained support of oncology nursing certification.

Oncology nursing certification validates that nurses have met stringent requirements for knowledge and experience and are qualified to provide competent oncology care.

“Roswell Park encourages its more than 600 nurses to further their education through staff development and oncology nursing education programs, which are often tailored to their individual lifestyles,” said Maureen Kelly, RN, MS, OCN, Chief Nursing Officer at Roswell Park. “At Roswell Park, patients benefit because their care is delivered by nurses with documented expertise in oncology care. As a result, the most recent patient satisfaction surveys place Roswell Park care in the top 3% nationwide of more than 1,100 academic and community specialty hospitals surveyed.”

At Roswell Park, encouragement for ONS certification is incorporated into the hiring and promotion process. Oncology certification is preferred for all staff nurse positions and required for nursing administrators, supervisors or specialists. RPCI provides on-site, accredited continuing nursing education programs, paid time to attend review courses and tuition reimbursement for external review courses. Roswell Park also financially rewards nurses who obtain certification.

The Roswell Park Department of Nursing also is seeking designation as a Magnet Hospital for Nursing Excellence, a credential given by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, the nation’s largest nursing accrediting and credentialing organization.

The Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation, an affiliated organization of the Oncology Nursing Society, administers and evaluates programs for certification in oncology nursing.

The mission of Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) is to understand, prevent and cure cancer. RPCI, founded in 1898, was one of the first cancer centers in the country to be named a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and remains the only facility with this designation in Upstate New York. The Institute is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers; maintains affiliate sites; and is a partner in national and international collaborative programs. For more information, visit RPCI’s website at http://www.roswellpark.org, call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) or email askrpci@roswellpark.org.

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