Oncology Careers

[JnJTyson]

Hey guys! I'm currently in my second semester of 3 in LPN school. We've been doing clinicals on the oncology floor and Med/Surg. my first rotation was on med/surg (mostly medical..there is a seperate surgical floor at the hospital) but that rotation was almost enough to say "Do I REALLY want to be a nurse?" But then we moved up to Oncology. I absolutley love it! I love the nurses, the atmosphere, the pts...everything. Med/Surg was way to uptight for me...maybe its just the way that unit was run in that particular hospital...but still.I'm really interested in the specialty areas.

So my question is....how did you guys start in oncology nursing? Any of you guys get the OCN, or AOCN certifications? Are they worth it?

The nurses on the floor have kind of recruited me up there. The one nurse dragged me to the unit manager and said "Come May, we are hiring her up here for day-shift" I graduate in may.

I know I can't push chemo drugs, can RNs? But when I get IV certified, most drugs I can push..very few that I can't.

SO!! I would love to hear your thoughts on this!! Any info you can give would be wonderful...any helpful websites for oncology?

Thanks!!

Jules (LPN in May)

Yes...so I don't get hounded....if I stay in nursing after I graduate..I WILL get my RN =0)

[jemb]

Oncology nursing can be very rewarding. Many oncology/medical or oncology/surgical floors have careers for LPNs/LVNs. While chemotherapy drugs can only be administered by chemo certified RNs, many 'oncology drugs' are not chemo. Some are monoclonal antibodies, blood products, or fluids and drugs given to treat complications of the disease. There's much more to oncology nursing than pushing chemo drugs, so I would encourage you to follow your instincts on this one. If you believe you would love to work in this field, go for it!

[rileygrl11, BSN, RN]

I've been in oncology for 1-1/2 years and love the pt population. It can be very rewarding and a great way to learn many skills that can take you far in the future in other areas.

The downside is that it can be emotional draining for a nurse. Many of the pts will you see again and again and relationships are developed with them and their families. When things get worse for them or the pt dies, it is emotionally taxing. We've been trained to help our pts get better but in this field, that is not always the case. It is difficult to stand back and watch the pt deteriorate while caring for them and their loved ones.

You will either love it or hate it. The thought that gets me through the rough times is knowing that I've made a difference in someone's life when they needed it the most.

Listen to your heart!