What is the Oncology floor like?

[ijuanabhappy]

I've been a nurse for a year now but have very limited hospital experience. You might as well call me a new grad. I had a couple failed attempts at floor nursing (cardiac floor, NICU) but in all honesty I don't think I gave myself a chance. I felt at the time that there was no way I could ever juggle multiple patients and keep my time management in check. I do not have time management down at all, and sometimes I think I would be better suited in a nursing position that focuses on one patient at a time. Most of my experience has been in the clinic setting which was basically phones.

I have always been drawn to Oncology, as well as psych. Could anyone tell me what working on an oncology floor is like? More stressful than a med-surg floor? If one has a true desire and passion for it, can the steep learning curve and organizational skills come in time? Is it extremely fast paced? Hard physically on the body?

Any good advice? Please no sarcastic comments...those really are not helpful.

[Willowdean, BSN]

I really appreciated what everyone had to say about oncology nursing! I was just offered a choice between a post-surg unit and an oncology unit, and I have been agonizing over trying to make up my mind. (I am graduating in August, so I don't have much experience of my own on which to base my choice). Your descriptions have really helped. If anyone has experience on both a post-surg floor and an oncology floor, I sure would appreciate to hear your thoughts on the contrast as well!

[nicolemy0215]

Time management is a skill that some of the most experienced nurses struggle with, so don't beat yourself up over that so early on. My outlook (since becoming a nurse) has always been to force myself to be in every situation that either frightened me or that I didn't feel confident in. I worked on an extremely busy/high acuity (aka multiple codes every shift) unit when I began nursing and although there were certainly days the first few months where I felt beyond lost and unsure, I was also exposed to such a wide array of diseases/experiences that you basically learn time management as a way to "survive" your shift. I would recommend working on a fast paced ER/ICU/MedSurg floor for a solid year to any nurse struggling with time management. Currently I work in outpatient Onc. Time management is vital...for your patient's experience as well as for your sanity! The pros/cons are unique when working with patients dealing with cancer. I can assure you that I leave work every day grateful for something a patient has taught me about life, but there is an emotional stress associated with working in Onc that can be consuming. Having outlets in life (family/hobbies/etc) is a necessity. Overall, a completely rewarding area to work in.