BMT unit and future job prospects?

[lullaby]

hi,

i have an interview on a bone marrow transplant unit soon and would like a little advice. i'm an (old) recent grad with less than a year of experience at a skilled nursing facility.

i am interested in the BMT unit and oncology in general, my only concern is what types of jobs BMT will lead to after a year on this unit? i know BMT is very specialized and some compare it to working on an ICU, do you think i'd be able to land an ICU job with this experience?

any other nurses out there work in BMT and then go in another direction like med/surg, ICU, PACU?

i would also assume it would be fairly easy to transfer into general oncology fairly quickly?

this job would be with a very well know teaching hospital and i know i would learn so much, i am just a little concerned about being pigeon holed..

any advice about BMT/oncology would be greatly appreciated!

thanks!

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

BMT units are INTENSE. They keep patients who would otherwise be in an ICU. I would not worry about being pigeon-holed, BMT is excellent experience to have.

[SoldierNurse22, BSN, RN]

KelRN is right. I worked on an oncology unit that did auto BMTs. Being that it was my first job, I kinda took what I did and the experience I was getting for granted. I have recently transferred to a new duty station and a new job. I am amazed at the expertise that oncology has afforded me, especially with BMT experience. Get that job while the getting's good and learn all you can!

[kafferations1]

Patients who have bone marrow transplants (particularly allografts- or MUDs) have very complex physical/mental needs- pain, nausea, mucositus, sepsis, anxiety/depression etc. You will learn quickly how to deal with these things and these skills can be used in a variety of specialities. I work in a haematology unit where we are one-to-one with some of these patients and every effort is made to keep them out of ITU and they can't seem to manage them too well like us! I thoroughly reccommend working in this area, so long as you have the support and a good team behind you which I have. It is definately fantastic experience if you want to go into ITU eventually...they could do with your experience!

[plf2323]

My first job after nursing school was on a BMT unit. Even though it is a highly specialized area, I had a great experience and learned a lot about both oncology and ICU nursing. We kept all our critical patients and were required to complete our hospital's critical care orientation. Therefore, I would have been qualified to apply to any critical care unit in the hospital. I easily transitioned to a general Hem/Onc unit at another hospital where I worked until I left bedside nursing. I loved BMT and would recommend it to anyone who is interested. Good luck!!!

[lullaby]

thanks for everyone's input! i had my interview on the BMT unit and i was offered the job! i did really like the BMT unit but i was also offered my dream job on a heart and lung transplant step-down unit so i accepted this offer instead :)