Introduction to the ASTRO Nursing Committee
We hope to make all nurses familiar with the different aspects and members of the committee. Our mission is to promote excellence in patient care and advance the practice of radiation oncology nursing. Our goal is to provide educational opportunities and advocate the specialty of radiation oncology. The committee is achieving this by:

• Presenting a nursing program at ASTRO's Annual Meeting.
  
• Integrating a nursing component into the general ASTRO Annual Meeting through refresher courses, panels and scientific sessions.
  
• Working in conjunction with ONS.
  
• Marketing radiation oncology nursing through varied publications, networking and supporting recruitment and retention.
  
• Supporting the role of advanced practice nurses.

In a recent effort to effort to address the nursing shortage in the United States, ASTRO joined over 33 organizations in submitting a letter to the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives. The letter asked for the support in the allocation of $175 million in fiscal year (FY) 2007 for implementation of the “Nurse Reinvestment Act” and other workforce programs at Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). *Click Here* to review the letter.

The committee was established in 1998 with a core group of dedicated radiation oncology nurses. The Nursing Committee is currently chaired by Linda A. Filipczak, R.N., B.S.N., M.B.A., from Reid Hospital and Health Care Centers. The Nursing Program has been held in conjunction with ASTRO's Annual Meeting for the past few years, with continued integration into the ASTRO general meeting, which offers a varied format of sessions. The Nursing Program for 2006 has been completed and an additional half-day was added due to continued support and attendance. The additional half-day session will be a “Radiation Oncology Overview from a Nursing Perspective” and will be led by Elizabeth Brunton, R.N., M.S.N, ONS Liaison, and Nursing Committee Member.

Committee members are employed at different treatment facilities, including academic settings, large treatment centers and freestanding clinics, and are located in all regions of the country, from rural to urban. They also hold a wide variety of job responsibilities and have earned many different degrees. This diversity makes them particularly able to identify with the different treatment areas that our specialty experiences. The members have assisted with numerous projects to further develop the specialty of radiation oncology nursing, including publications, legislative agendas, clinical trials and presentations at numerous meetings.