[sc1973]

Hello all,

I am about to graduate in May 08 as an RN and am seriously considering oncology or hospice care, but have no idea of where or how to begin. I know eventually I want to end up as a hospice nurse, because of the experience that I went through with my Dad before he passed. Should I just start on the oncology floor and build up my experience to work with hospice patients? I have always wanted to work with cancer patients just because my father had lung and prostate ca. Any thoughts would be very helpful.

Thanks a bunch,

Shan

[CaringRN1234]

Hey Shan,
When I graduated from nursing school I was almost identical to you. My father had died of cancer and my mother was fighting cancer. So I worked on the oncology floor for a little over a year just to gain the med-surg skill foundation. Then I started with hospice. I feel that I bring a little something extra to my patients having experienced a personal loss myself. It helps them to know that you are there because you care. The oncology experience has also helped me a lot in hospice. Good luck to you.

[dosamigos76]

I would highly recommend Med/Surg experience and take it from there. In hospice, we cover a lot of different disease processes....not just the terminal dx. Also, when you are out in the field, the more diverse your background, the more confident you will be. Depending on where you work and live, there may not be anyone else you can call right at that moment (phone coverage and the like) and it's not a nice feeling if you're not real sure what to do.

Some companies will hire new graduates, but honestly, I don't think that it is fair in the long run to the nurse and to the patient.

Good luck and congrats on your upcoming graduation.

Cheryl