What is your favorite part of oncology nursing?

TRousse · Jul 23, 2005

I would like to hear from you wonderful oncology nurses as well. Please share your stories.

nurse_clown · Nov 12, 2005

i happened to get into oncolocy nursing by sheer coincidence. i quit my job in child welfare and moved back to my home town. i didn't know what to do for the first while and there weren't any openings at my local child welfare agency. i put an application in to my local hospital. i wasn't sure what to do so i applied for everything. the night shift particularly interested me and made them happy. there were two medical units. on each side of the unit were specialty units. on one side was dialysis. the medical unit beside it generally got the renal patients. on the other side was the palliative care unit and the medical unit beside it mostly got oncology patients. my dad was is a nephrology doc. so there was no way i could work on the one medical unit! so i was placed on the other medical unit and cared for a lot of oncology and palliative care patients. it sure was hard adjusting to it because it was much different than child welfare. i had no clue what to do and i was trained "as you go".

i love oncology. i can't pin-point why. i think it's the people. i love the night shift because it is much quieter than the day shift. i work twelve hours shifts so we're putting people to bed and things are winding down for them. i love ensuring that they are sleeping and comfortable. often there are ones who are going through a rough time with the chemo or radiation treatments. they are awake in pain, vomiting or just plain can't sleep. i'm able to talk to them briefly about their lives. people like to talk especially when they feel their weakest. to me sleep is very important and if i can help them feel comfortable and get the best sleep they've had in a long time, i'll do my best.

or maybe it's the night shift. we have to do the 24 hour checks. it gives me a chance to review labs, tests, flow sheets and documentation. on the day shift, there's so much going on it distracts me. i'm able to report anything to the day shift, like a trend in labs values or activity function or something. i also have to verify stuff in the computer and make sure that orders were entered. we also do a lot of our transfusions suring the night shift. it's no less busy than the day shift or maybe not. but i sure do like it. i like the people i work with too. they seem like nice people. we can talk low, play classical music.

AvondaleGrad · Jan 7, 2006

When I graduated, Oncology was the area I listed as never wanting to go. So, as fate would have it, I was placed there. I stayed. I love it. It brings the best and the worst out of people, usually the best. If there is anywhere to be a real advocate for your patients, then this is it. Its not a glamerous area. It can be hard, but it has its rewards.

I looked after a 17 year old boy with testicular cancer. He had mets in his lung and liver. His father had found him lying on the floor at his mother's house. He had not received any medical treatment as his mother wanted only alternative treatment with a protein starvation diet and herbs. His father was able to get him into a rural hospital and they transferred him to us. He had surgery, chemo and a mini SCT. The treatement was a battle as it was met with constant opposition from his mother. He survived and is still in remission after four years. Last year he came back to the ward to see me and one of the other nurses who had cared for him. He wanted to introduce us to his fiance.

I guess I feel like am actually able to help someone here. I can still remember some of my first patients. Its an area you either love or hate.

Birdwatcher1, RN · Jan 9, 2006

The patient population makes oncology rewarding for me. They truly know how important and fragile life is. We get to know the families as well as the patients, and I think the familiarity helps our unit teamwork. I never thought about going into oncology before working here but have found it very rewarding. :)

lisabeth · Jan 15, 2006

i happened to get into oncolocy nursing by sheer coincidence. i quit my job in child welfare and moved back to my home town. i didn't know what to do for the first while and there weren't any openings at my local child welfare agency. i put an application in to my local hospital. i wasn't sure what to do so i applied for everything. the night shift particularly interested me and made them happy. there were two medical units. on each side of the unit were specialty units. on one side was dialysis. the medical unit beside it generally got the renal patients. on the other side was the palliative care unit and the medical unit beside it mostly got oncology patients. my dad was is a nephrology doc. so there was no way i could work on the one medical unit! so i was placed on the other medical unit and cared for a lot of oncology and palliative care patients. it sure was hard adjusting to it because it was much different than child welfare. i had no clue what to do and i was trained "as you go".

i love oncology. i can't pin-point why. i think it's the people. i love the night shift because it is much quieter than the day shift. i work twelve hours shifts so we're putting people to bed and things are winding down for them. i love ensuring that they are sleeping and comfortable. often there are ones who are going through a rough time with the chemo or radiation treatments. they are awake in pain, vomiting or just plain can't sleep. i'm able to talk to them briefly about their lives. people like to talk especially when they feel their weakest. to me sleep is very important and if i can help them feel comfortable and get the best sleep they've had in a long time, i'll do my best.

or maybe it's the night shift. we have to do the 24 hour checks. it gives me a chance to review labs, tests, flow sheets and documentation. on the day shift, there's so much going on it distracts me. i'm able to report anything to the day shift, like a trend in labs values or activity function or something. i also have to verify stuff in the computer and make sure that orders were entered. we also do a lot of our transfusions suring the night shift. it's no less busy than the day shift or maybe not. but i sure do like it. i like the people i work with too. they seem like nice people. we can talk low, play classical music.

wow. that sounds like a good place to be in. your story kind of reminded me of my mom before she died of lung cancer. i know she had some real insecurities about dying and what was going on. this sounds like something i might want to think about.