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Asia Pac J Oncol Nurs
Asia Pac J Oncol Nurs
Asia-Pacific Journal of Oncology Nursing
2347-5625
2349-6673
Elsevier

S2347-5625(24)00139-2
10.1016/j.apjon.2024.100517
100517
Correspondence
To the memory of Judi Johnson – Legendary contributions to the cancer nursing around the world
Kav Sultan skav@baskent.edu.tr

Department of Nursing, Baskent University Faculty of Health Sciences, Ankara, Turkey
14 5 2024
9 2024
14 5 2024
11 9 100517© 2024 The Author(s)
2024
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
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A pioneer in cancer nursing, Judi L. Johnson, PhD, RN, FAAN, has dedicated her career to providing leadership in cancer education and excellence in patient-centered care. I have known Dr. Johnson personally since joining the International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care (ISNCC) Board in 2000 and many years before from her work and publications. I count myself fortunate and very privileged to have worked with her during the ISNCC Board and Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) Education Study Group and have found her to be a tireless advocate of both cancer nursing and cancer patient care. She was a great mentor, a role model and leader. She inspired, encouraged, and helped many nurses, especially those from limited resource countries to develop and involve in cancer nursing and supportive care in cancer.

I would like to share personal stories about how my interactions with Judi shaped my career and life. I was one of the participants in the ‘Learning to Live with Cancer’ European workshop in 1996, which is based on Judi's PhD study, ‘I can Cope’ program. The Learning to Live with Cancer program was developed collaboratively between Dr Judi Johnson and Dr Gertrud Grahn, Sweden.1 The ‘Learning to Live with Cancer’ workshop and educational initiative has been promoted by the European Oncology Nursing Society (EONS) in 1996. This program was organized by the European Oncology Nursing Society in cooperation with Lund University.2 Following the workshop, patient education and support group programs were implemented in several European countries.3 As a novice cancer nurse, this was my first experience outside of my home country, and it filled me with great passion. The educational workshop was designed with educational principles and holistic concepts to support the empowerment of cancer patients and their families.Image 2

Following the ‘I Can Cope’ program, we learned that Dr Johnson also developed ‘WE CAN WEEKEND’ a unique program for families experiencing cancer,4 and the ‘WIN: Women in Nature’ a rehabilitation program offering women with cancer a means for building self-esteem and confidence through an outdoor environmental experience. Several educational materials have been designed and widely utilized along with these programs for patients, families, and healthcare professionals.

Dr Judi Johnson was appointed to the Board of ISNCC from 1998 to 2002, where we met in person. She was very supportive and welcoming. I felt so fortunate to be close to Judi and her husband, Randy Johnson.Image 3

She has coordinated and attended conferences around the world to collaborate with nurses and healthcare professionals from different countries.Image 4

In 1998, Dr Judi Johnson developed a government document for the establishment of a PhD program at the university and launched at Hokkaido University of Health Sciences in Sapporo, Japan, aiming to advancing nurses without having them travel abroad. She held a faculty position there from 1999 to 2004. Additionally, she helped start a nursing program at Daystar University in Nairobi, Kenya. In 2010, Judi was appointed as a Fulbright Scholar, which led to patient education projects at Tianjin Cancer Hospital in China and Daystar University in Kenya.

Dr Judi Johnson was a founding member of the MASCC; from 2005 to 2011 served as an Associate Director with responsible for coordination of MASCC's study groups, professional liaisons, membership committee and management of the MASCC web site.5 She was one of the developers of the MASCC Oral Agent Teaching Tool (MOATT©) and a coauthor of the MOATT© User Guide.6

Dr Johnson inspired and motivated Asian cancer nurses to unite their cancer societies into the Asian Oncology Nursing Society (AONS). The first AONS Congress was held in Bangkok, Thailand in November 2013 with 450 nurses-in-attendance brought together other international associations.7

Following the first AONS congress, she initiated and served as the founding editor of the Asia–Pacific Journal of Oncology Nursing (APJON). Today, APJON is celebrating its 10th anniversary and has achieved a high level of impact among the journals in oncology nursing.Image 5

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We are going to miss you Judi, but we are so grateful for all the teachings, the networks, the friendship, the great memories, and the support that you have left with us.
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References

1. Grahn G. Johnson J. Learning to cope and living with cancer. Learning-needs assessment in cancer patient education Scand J Caring Sci 4 4 1990 173 181 10.1111/j.1471-6712.1990.tb00069.x 2293287
2. Grahn G. Coping with the cancer experience. I. Developing an education and support programme for cancer patients and their significant others Eur J Cancer Care (Engl). 5 3 1996 176 181 10.1111/j.1365-2354.1996.tb00230.x 9117052
3. van der Molen B. Hutchison G. Learning to live with cancer: the UK experience of a European patient education and support programme Eur J Cancer Care (Engl). 8 3 1999 170 173 10.1046/j.1365-2354.1999.00158.x 10763648
4. Johnson J.L. Norby P.A. We can weekend: a program for cancer families Cancer Nurs 4 1 1981 23 28 6907045
5. Rittenberg C.N. Johnson J.L. Kuncio G.M. An oral history of MASCC, its origin and development from MASCC's beginnings to 2009 Support Care Cancer 18 6 2010 775 784 10.1007/s00520-010-0830-0 20221642
6. Kav S. Schulmeister L. Nirenberg A. Barber L. Johnson J. Rittenberg C. Development of the MASCC teaching Tool for patients receiving oral agents for cancer Support Care Cancer 18 5 2010 583 590 10.1007/s00520-009-0692-5 19590904
7. Onishi K. Establishment of the Asia oncology nursing society (AONS) Asia Pac J Oncol Nurs 1 1 2014 April-June 1 3 10.4103/2347-5625.135799 27981075
