"One powerful, overlooked aspect of colorectal cancer survivorship is the emotional and identity transformation that our survivors undergo—and really how little space is given in the clinical arena for that. No one really talks about this 'invisible recovery.' Facing mortality can lead to prolonged changes in values, relationships, and life goals. And these experiences aren't captured in lab results or imaging scans, but they really shape how survivors live, love, and heal and continue with their lives," ONS member Kris Mathey, DNP, APRN-CNP, AOCNP^®, gastrointestinal medical oncology nurse practitioner at The James Cancer Hospital of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS^®, manager of oncology nursing practice at ONS, during a conversation about colorectal cancer survivorship.

Music Credit: "Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod

Licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0 

Earn 0.75 contact hours of nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) by listening to the full recording and completing an evaluation at courses.ons.org by September 12, 2026. The planners and faculty for this episode have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose. ONS is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.

Learning outcome: Learner will report an increase is knowledge related to colorectal cancer survivorship nursing considerations.

Episode Notes 

• Complete this evaluation for free NCPD. 
• ONS Podcast™ episodes:
• Episode 374: Colorectal Cancer Treatment Considerations for Nurses
• Episode 370: Colorectal Cancer Screening, Early Detection, and Disparities
• Episode 201: Which Survivorship Care Model Is Right for Your Patient?
• Episode 153: Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Has More Treatment Options Than Ever Before
• ONS Voice articles:
• Genetic Disorder Reference Sheet: Lynch Syndrome (Hereditary Nonpolyposis Colorectal Cancer)
• Here Are the Current Nutrition and Physical Activity Recommendations for Cancer Survivors
• ONS course: Essentials in Survivorship Care for the Advanced Practice Provider
• Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing article: Closing the Gaps: Addressing the Unmet Needs of Cancer Survivors
• Oncology Nursing Forum articles:
• Symptom Occurrence, Frequency, and Severity During Acute Colorectal Cancer Survivorship
• The Relationship Between Colorectal Cancer Survivors' Positive Psychology, Symptom Characteristics, and Prior Trauma During Acute Cancer Survivorship
• ONS Survivorship Care Plan Huddle Card
• ONS Learning Libraries:
• Colorectal cancer
• Survivorship
• Academy of Oncology Nurse and Patient Navigators
• American Cancer Society National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable
• Colorectal Cancer Alliance
• Colorectal Cancer Resource and Action Network
• Fight Colorectal Cancer
• Resource Library
• Livestrong at the YMCA
• Pan Ohio Hope Ride

To discuss the information in this episode with other oncology nurses, visit the ONS Communities.

To find resources for creating an ONS Podcast club in your chapter or nursing community, visit the ONS Podcast Library.

To provide feedback or otherwise reach ONS about the podcast, email pubONSVoice@ons.org.

Highlights From This Episode

"As of the most recent data, more than 1.5 million people in the United States are living as colorectal cancer survivors. So this includes not only those who are currently undergoing active cancer treatment but also t