Nurses Helping Nurses
allnurses Network: Central | Jobs | Books | Newsletter
allnurses: A Nursing Community for Nurses
Home General News Blogs Articles Students Region Specialty Degrees F.A.Q.
Oncology Nursing /

Oncology nursing student...peds or adults?



Did You Know?
allnurses is the largest community for nurses on the web. We now have over 388,131 members! Join today to network with other nurses, laugh, share, and much more.

Jun 27, 2009 06:44 PM

Oncology nursing student...peds or adults?

by teenyjo
Updated Jun 27, 2009 at 06:45 PM by teenyjo

I am a senior nursing student and in the next few weeks we'll be putting in our requests for our final semester practicum. We'll have a preceptor and work 180 hours with our preceptor in a particular nursing specialty. I'm having a really hard time figuring out how to rank my choices, and was hoping you all might be able to help.

My heart is in oncology nursing. I know that for a fact. I am pretty sure I'd like to focus even further on pediatric oncology, but there is no practicum available that focuses on such specialized peds nursing. I would rather do adult oncology nursing than peds nursing in general, and I am pretty sure I could get a practicum on an adult oncology floor.

So here's my dilemma... Would it be better to get oncology experience with patients of any age and then seek out work with the kiddos later, OR would it be better to get pediatric experience and then specialize later? Is it possible to be hired onto a peds hem/onc unit if my oncology hours have all been with adults?

Any suggestions from those of you who are already in the field? I'd appreciate any insight! Thanks in advance.


Share

Search Tags
oncology, pediatric oncology
Top

 
Advertisement
Sponsored Links
 
Reply
2 Comments
No. 1
from liloncrn
Old Jun 28, 2009, 10:45 PM

Default Re: Oncology nursing student...peds or adults?
I am not sure if it would be hard to transfer from adults to peds. I know of a traveler that has worked in Adult med-surg for years and cant get a job in peds to save her life. You may want to ask your local hospitals.
Top
 
No. 2
from luvbug9956
Old Jul 19, 2009, 10:42 AM

Default Re: Oncology nursing student...peds or adults?
Nurses in pediatric oncology tend to be quite loyal...less turnaround time. It would probably be very difficult for a new grad to obtain a position in that field. I would suggest starting in adult. This way, you could start on an inpatient oncology floor that also sees medical/surgical overflow and get a good variety of experience. This will help you to manage your oncology patients ' comorbities if you choose to specialize further into oncology. Just a thought!
Top

1 Reader Gave Kudos
 
Reply




Thread Tools


Who's Online
255 members
2,310 guests
2,565

6

California Imposes Stricter Rules Regarding Drug Abuse In...

18

Are older nurses being forced out of the profession?

2

An outlook in California?

8

Australian surgeons successfully separate conjoined twins

41

Disruptive behavior by doctors, nurses persists a year...

31

Woman sues after police tackle her in ER during premature...

5

Beyond The Last Lecture -For Randy & Jai Pausch nurses...

18

WHO: Give at-risk groups anti-flu drugs early

21

Nursing, medical schools should work together, experts say

6

Army nurse honored after 100th birthday






Currently Reading This Page: 1 (0 members & 1 guests)

Interested in the hottest topics of the week? Subscribe to the Nurse-zine Newsletter.
Enter email address: