Clinical Perspectives in Oncology Nursing: Management and Treatment of Multiple Myeloma

medications for the treatment of MM, a new burden is placed upon clinicians who care for these patients to become educated on these novel drugs’ benefits and side effects profiles and to integrate them into clinical practice. It is crucial to achieving optimum outcomes for patients with MM that they are offered access to the latest innovations in treatment. However, for this to happen, the entire care team—including oncology nurses and advanced practice nurses—need to be fully apprised of new information and transfer their learnings to patients as well as other members of the interdisciplinary care team. These new medications are used in combination therapy, which increases the complexity of care, and oncology nursing professionals require updates on guideline recommendations for best treatment strategies. In addition, supportive care for conditions caused by the disease or its treatment is not consistently provided. Finally, patients often are not given the option of participating in clinical trials because clinicians may not be fully apprised of current trials and the benefits of patient participation. This activity has been designed to address these gaps in order that oncology nursing professionals who care for patients with MM may achieve the best outcomes possible.