What is it like to work in Hematology/Oncology?

meanmaryjean, DNP, RN · Nov 6, 2015

These actually ARE acute patients!

nurseontheway · Nov 6, 2015

The job that I applied for stated 'non acute.' From what I understand they give them chemo there but this is a new field for me. The recruiter mentioned that they were chronic as well.

KelRN215, BSN, RN · Nov 9, 2015

I'm not sure what you mean "these are not acute patients". Of course they are. A child in remission from ALL on maintenance chemotherapy can quickly become VERY acute when neutropenic.

Is this an inpatient unit or an outpatient clinic? Either way, the kids are acute. Someone drives her kid in with a fever, is found to be neutropenic and the kid can go septic right before your eyes, while awaiting a bed on the inpatient unit. Then you're running codes in the clinic and transferring the kid directly to the ICU.

ShantheRN, BSN, RN · Jan 25, 2016

Busy....intense.....heart breaking at times....and totally worth it when you get to send someone home after their last cycle. It's so unpredictable, but I love the intensity of it. I find it very rewarding. I also have very firm boundaries that prevent burn out. I don't go to funerals. I don't get too involved with patients. You get to know families because they are inpatient so long, but I have to keep them at a certain distance. Generally speaking, I leave work at work. Regularly scheduled PTO is my friend as well. I've worked it 7 years and have no intention of switching specialties. I love it.

Like Kel said, all of those kids are acute and chronic at the same time.

jesxmas · Apr 10, 2016

I'm a pediatric hem/onc nurse. It's stressful, joyful and heart wrenching at times. It absolutely is an acute position, some chemo agents require emergency medication at the bedside while being administered, some requires q 15 minute vitals and others require patients to go home with emergency medication in case of a reaction. Getting to see the strength and resilience in these children and their family is incredibly rewarding. On the other hand, I have driven home crying multiple times from events that have happened to our hem/onc kids. I wouldn't change it for the world.