Connie Henke Yarbro Excellence in Cancer Nursing Mentorship Award

Important Dates: 

Applications Open: October 15, 2025
Application Due:  January 21, 2026
Applicants notified via email by: March 2026

Note: An individual cannot receive this award more than one time.

Award: Recipient receives special recognition through a range of Oncology Nursing Foundation platforms, press recognition through Oncology Nursing Foundation, including, but not limited to, a feature in the Oncology Nursing Foundation newsletter, a feature on the Oncology Nursing Foundation website, and a press release sent to a list of colleagues and workplace provided by the winner. 

Purpose: To recognize and support excellence in the mentorship of oncology nurses.

Nomination: A nominator must submit the application to recognize the nominee/mentor. Nominees may be an oncology nurse (ONS member or non-member).

Qualifications: 
To be eligible for the award, the nominee must:

1. Be a registered nurse with at least two years of experience in oncology nursing.
2. Have provided mentoring outside what is expected within work or employment responsibilities
3. Demonstrate excellence in the mentorship of others in the practice of oncology nursing in the academic, clinical, or research setting.

The primary selection focus is the nominee’s contribution to mentoring oncology nurses outside their work-related responsibilities.

Support Letters: The nominator must provide at least 2 letters in support of the nominee that describes:

• How the nominee has participated in mentoring relationships.  Be sure to include those qualities that distinguish the nominee.
• The types of mentoring in which the nominee has participated (academic, clinical, research)
• The outcomes of the relationship between the nominee and those mentored  
• If the mentored individual works with the nominee, the letter must clearly describe how this mentoring went beyond what would be expected in an employment role.
• Note: Each letter of support submitted must be authored by a different individual; the nominator can be the author of one of the letters of support.

 Points to Consider:

• Do not wait until the last day to start an application as a quality and competitive application will take time to complete.
• We suggest that you use your time wisely by getting a head start and collecting any additional required items such as the name and email address of someone writing your letter of recommendation before you begin.
• Your essay responses should be of good quality, in terms of grammar, punctuation, syntax, conciseness, and ability to answer the question. Ensure you submit a detailed response and use the word count to your advantage. 
• To strengthen your application, use free online tools such as Grammarly and have someone read over your application to ensure accurate spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

Past Award Winners