What is the Cowtown Oncology Nursing Symposium

In January 2010, a discussion with two Fort Worth-based oncology nurses took place during a casual dinner. At that time, funding for attendance at national meetings was declining locally and yet the learning needs for oncology nurses was growing. This led to a decision to explore what a community-based conference for oncology nurses might “look like.”  The inaugural planning committee represented a variety of oncology providers and facilities in the DFW area. This group focused on three primary goals: reasonably priced registration costs, collaborative planning with local providers and settings for oncology care, and provision of education for oncology nurses in the DFW area.

The first Cowtown Oncology Nursing Symposium (CONS) was held in the Spring of 2011 as a one-day offering with an attendance of 75. In 2015, given the success and growing attendance, the Symposium was expanded to a day and a half event in 2015 with 282 attendees. In 2018, it was expanded to a full two-day event, with a specific cancer focus on Friday and a variety of topics on Saturday, identified from the previous year’s attendee evaluations. Support for the CONS has been strong, not only from exhibitors, but also non-profits organizations that attend on the first day of the event and connect with CONS attendees.