Margaret Fitch, a nursing alumna and adjunct faculty member, has received two lifetime achievement awards from the Oncology Nursing Society of Kenya and the Oncology Nursing Society of Nigeria. Both awards recognize Fitch’s integral role in developing curriculum and programming to facilitate oncology nursing education in various African nations.
“It is an honour to receive these awards, and to know that the contributions I have been making have made a difference to my colleagues in Africa as they continue to face major challenges in access to education and oncology practice,” says Fitch.
Oncology nursing is a recognized specialty area of nursing but not in other parts of the world. It requires additional education and skill development, as cancer care continues to evolve and become more complex. Since her first exposure to cancer care following her Master’s degree, Fitch has been passionate about oncology nursing, an area she feels is unique to the nursing profession.
For more than 20 years she held the position of Head of Oncology Nursing and Co-Director of the Psychosocial and Behavioral Research Unit at the Odette Cancer Centre at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Her research on supportive care has influenced oncology nursing and cancer care in many parts of the world. She is the founder of the Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology, an organization that recently celebrated its 40th anniversary.
“It has been amazing to see the development of oncology nursing over the years and to have been a part of its recognition as a specialty practice. It is also amazing to see the recognition oncology nursing has earned around the world,” says Fitch.
Fitch has also served as President of the International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care, a leadership position she held following 16 years on the Board of Directors for the Society, which enabled her to contribute to projects led by the World Health Organization and International Atomic Energy Society in various countries within Asia and Africa. Fitch is also the current Editor-in-Chief of the peer-reviewed Canadian Oncology Nursing Journal and teaches aspiring cancer nurses in a variety of countries including Kenya, Rwanda, Nigeria, Vietnam, and Thailand.
In many African nations Fitch says, the number of cancer patients is on the rise, but the infrastructure and human resources are lacking. Many nurses she encounters, say they feel unprepared which is why Fitch and colleagues continue to advocate for educational programs that support oncology nursing as a speciality.
“One of the most important developments I hope to see in the future, is more graduate education in these regions and an ability to conduct research related to oncology nursing in local environments,” says Fitch. “We cannot just take what works in North America and apply it to countries in Africa or Asia, we need to engage in bi-directional learning.”