Aim: To describe our response to the COVID‐19 emergency in a cancer centre to enable other nursing organizations to determine which elements could be useful to manage a surge of patients in their own setting.Background: The COVID‐19 pandemic represents one of the most challenging healthcare scenarios faced to date. Managing cancer care in such a complex situation requires a coordinated emergency action plan to guarantee the continuity of cancer treatments for patients by providing healthcare procedures for patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals in a safe environment.Procedures: We describe the main strategies and role of nurses in implementating such procedures.Results: Nurses at our hospital were actively involved in COVID‐19 response defined by the emergency action plan that positively contributed to correct social distancing and to the prevention of the spread of the virus.Implications for nursing and health policies: Lessons learned from the response to phase I of COVID‐19 have several implications for future nursing and health policies in which nurses play an active role through their involvement in the frontline of such events. Key policies include a coordinated emergency action plan permitting duty of care within the context of a pandemic, and care pathway revision. This requires the rapid implementation of strategies and policies for a nursing response to the new care scenarios: personnel redistribution, nursing workflow revision, acquisition of new skills and knowledge, effective communication strategies, infection control policies, risk assessment and surveillance programmes, and continuous supplying of personal protective equipment. Finally, within a pandemic context, clear nursing policies reinforcing the role of nurses as patient and caregiver educators are needed to promote infection prevention behaviour in the general population.

Purpose: To describe the supportive care needs of early-stage Italian melanoma patients and identify the predictors of unmet needs. Design: Bicenter cross-sectional. Sample: Two hundred eight (TIS-T3) melanoma patients in follow-up. Methods: In person self-assessment procedures; the Supportive Care Needs Survey short-form 34, the Distress Thermometer and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were used. Results: Of the patients surveyed, 56% experienced at least one or more moderate-to-high unmet needs. Lack of melanoma-specific information and psychological support aids were the most intense sources of need. Being aged 60–69 years, retired and distressed predicted unmet needs. Conclusions: This study’s results demonstrate the need to implement supportive care needs screening among Italian early-stage melanoma patients during follow-up and to improve patient information and psychological support. Implications for psychosocial providers or policy: Providing patients with a point person within the hospital staff who centralizes the demand and refers to appropriate interventions may help the management of unmet needs.