Thinking about Ped. Onc.

[dreams2bnurseco]

Hello everyone!

I am currently an undergraduate student at The University of Denver. I will be graduating summer of 2007 with a BA in Molec. Bio, minors in Chem. and leadership. I will be applying for a 1-year accel. BSN program at Denver's Regis University in Jan of 2007 to start Jan of 2008. I have a very large medical history myself and I have always known this general career field was my calling....nursing, however, has been a recent inspiration within the past year or two. What has really pushed my interest toward ped. onc. is very recent: My boyfriend lost his cousin in 1998 to a fast growing brain tumor, she was 6. Now, I am employed by his aunt for her foundation that her and her husband formed in their daughters memory. My heavy involvement with this organization and becoming part of their family has impacted me deeply and I feel that pediatric oncology may be where I belong. However, I have a few questions. After completing the 1 year accel. BSN...do I need to obtain further certification to really aim for a job on a ped. onc. floor? Is it better to start in a diff. department and gain experience and work my way up? Any hints, tips, personal experience...please share! Thank you!

DUPioneerGal

[paccookie]

As far as I know NPs (yeah, nurse practioners) have a MSN while RNs have a BSN or even an ADN.

They have much more training in a specific field and are able to do many more procedures. They're also more independent..

I know we have NP programs in Oncology, Pediatric Nursing, and Pediatric Acute Care, but I've never heard of any Pedatric Oncology program and that's why I wonder which of these programs best fit my desire to become a NP and work with children suffering from cancer.

This certificate (CPON) is for RNs as it certificates one is able to practice competently at the basic level.

Emory has a peds onc np program as part of their peds np program (you choose peds onc or peds acute care as your specialty). It's on my list of possibles along with CNM and neonatal np. Still got a while to think though. ;-)

Christina

[googleaddict]

I'm going to jump on this bandwagon here. Ped-Onc Nursing sounds very interesting to me.

I'm just now starting college(Bowling Green State University) and I started going into it thinking Child Life Specialist. So I'm currently majoring in Human Development & Family Studies (taking req. english, college algebra-which i know would be of no use, phil of death & dying, gen psych & child development)

I really know very little about college and the paths I'm supposed to take to do what I want. Especially with Child Life it seemed impossible to get any help because nobody knows what it is. But hopefully you guys will be able to help me with Ped-Onc Nursing!

Thanks for any & all help!

[lisabeth]

You know, I know that it would be one of the most rewarding things to be helping children in this situation, but it would absolutely break my heart!!!!! I know from watching my mom die from cancer that it is really tough watching an adult suffer. I want to do whatever I can to make a difference. Whether it be doing whatever I can to help kill the disease or make people as comfortable as I possibly can. I just dont think I could watch it all happen to a child.

[HARRN2b]

Texas Angel,

I have to agree with you. I would love helping them, but I am afraid it would just kill me. I have 3 of my own children so I cannot imagine having one of them be ill.

[TCHilton7]

Hello everyone,

I am a new grad and have been offered a position in pediatric hem/oncology/transplant unit at a busy hospital in NYC. I am very nervous to start off on this type of unit because I feel as though these are areas in nursing I know the least about. I really wanted to start off in the NICU but the hospital I decided to work at does not hire new grads there. Therefore, I would like to prepare myself as much as I can by reading prior to the start of orientation. Can anyone recommend any books that I can read that may help out or complement what I will be learning in both class and on the unit? I looked at the association of pediatric hem/onco nurses and saw a book listed under their publications titled Nursing Care of the Child with Cancer edited by Rascco-Baggott and Patterson-Kelly. Has anyone read this book or have any suggestions. I would greatly appreciate your feedback. Thanks!

[glb1960]

hey tchilton7 vbmenu_register("postmenu_1895774", true); , the best advice i can give you would be to read up on all the leukemias, blastomas, cancers, in-born dieases of metabolism, anemias and other dieases that your floor will be treating. some floors like yours only treat autologous (self) transplants treating hodgkins and non-hodgkins or doing autologous rescues for treating other cancers. allogenic (non-self) are much more complicated and those programs are more in-depth. ask your manager or a charge nurse what your most common disorders are to begin preping for the floor. also, start reading up on how chemotherapy works and the side effects.

don't be nervous about this floor. if you feel capable of tackling a nicu floor, you should be able to succeed on a hem/onc floor. our floor has a minimum 3 mo. training period, more if you don't feel comfortable at that point. our nurses are not of the "eat your own" variety. our preceptors are very patient and supportive. working with kids and their families tends to require a depth of patience and most will have that in their personel make-up.

these can be some very sick and demanding pt.s and starting out on this floor will be excellent training for nicu, ed or any other high energy floor. and you never know, you may just spend a very long time on that floor.

congratulations, welcome to peds and good luck, gary

[SarasotaRN2b]

Yes, I have to agree...that it does break your heart when you see a little one suffering, not too mention the families. But somehow these little ones have such inner strength that we as adults can learn so much from them. I'm just amazed.

Peds Hem/Onc is an area that I am hoping to venture into after nursing school.