Sharon S. Gentry, MSN, RN, AOCN, HON-ONN-CG

Advisor at Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigator (AONN+)

Speaker

Ms. Gentry’s profession has been dedicated to oncology nursing for over 45 years with the last twenty-five focused on patient navigation. She started the first oncology navigation program in North Carolina where she was a breast cancer interdisciplinary team member connecting three systems of care and community resources in Winston-Salem, NC. She received her bachelor’s degree in nursing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her master’s degree in nursing education at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. 

Sharon has been a member of the Academy of Oncology Nurse and Patient Navigators Leadership Council (now the Board of Trustees) since its inception in 2009 and served as the Program Director for this organization 2020 – June 2023 as well as Editor in Chief of the Journal of Navigation and Survivorship (JONS) and CONQUER through December 2025. She has co-chaired the annual/Midyear AONN+ conferences, managed the local navigation networks and served on the teams for certification, metrics, and acuity. She has also authored multiple articles in peer reviewed publications as well as authored chapters in books related to oncology navigation. She is an active member of the National Navigation Round Table Workforce Development working group. She served on the Commission Accreditation Committee 2021 – 2024 and on their Cancer Quality Improvement Committee from 2022 – 2024. 

She has been a member of the Oncology Nursing Society since 1983 and was a founding member of the Piedmont Triad Oncology Nurse Chapter in 1988 and served in a leadership role for thirty years but now enjoys being an active participant. She was a contributor in the inception of the Oncology Nursing Certified Breast Care Nurse examination and served as the Committee Chair for 3 years. Also, she was an original member and writer for the Foundations for Learning oncology navigation patient and nurse generalists’ certifications. She remains active as a member of the Piedmont Triad Local Navigation Network and Piedmont Triad Oncology Nurse Chapter. 

Ms. Gentry travels nationally consulting and lecturing on the oncology navigation concept.