Considering Oncology Nursing

klgteamnurses · Mar 10, 2015

Hi.

For Starters, I have faith that You will get through this time as well!

As a nurse there will be time where you laugh and cry with your patients. There is no real way to prepare yourself for the emotional effects because every situation is unique. Think about what makes you smile and happy when you are going through treatments.

enkwanta · Mar 10, 2015

The job the experience is not tough everyday. If it was like that there would no one left in oncology. I would say follow your heart, stay focus and go goal. I did oncology nursing for 6 years and there were great days with good patient outcomes, and the tough days, for instance when staffing was short or the type of patient population maybe challenging for a while. Every day was never the same. I would encourage you to seek peer support early in your career and orientation that helps a lot. On a good note, we actually have time for parties and we could smile and enjoy what we did for our patients.When I was loss my job, I missed it. It was a large teaching hospital in of the world's largest medical center, perhaps that made a difference because we take care of patients from all over the world. Good Luck!!!!!

Trjl · Mar 22, 2015

I have been an oncology nurse a long time. I guess that many of us in oncology have lasted so long is because we feel we do make a difference in people's lives. But if I cried for every sad situation, I would be an emotional mess at work and I would certainly experience burnout very quickly. You will have to remember than not everyone will have the good outcome you have and you will be dealing with people who are are very sick and are not going to make it. If this is your passion, I would still say 'go for it', and see how you handle it. You may find you are tougher than expected. Your experience will help you and make you even more sympathetic towards what your patients are going through. Just remember too, that while many patients will be glad to know that heir nurse has experienced what they have, there may be other pts who feel as though they do not want to hear your story. This time is about them, and not you. And advice on how to handle your emotion, I guess that you just have to know on your inside that if someone is having a lot of pain or nausea, you are not doing them any favors in crying with them at them at the moment. Your role at the moment is to be strong and to help them through. There can be appropriate moments to cry while being with your pts, and I think with experience you will find what is a more appropriate time than others. Oh, it can still be emotionally taxing to be an oncology nurse, but I think you need to look at the positive of the fact that you are helping people. Not everyone right now can be saved, and don't ask yourself 'why did that have to happen to them'. You will only drive yourself crazy. Make sure that you have other activities outside of work that you enjoy and can get your mind off of work. If you meditate to wash away negative and bring on the positive, even better. And just to spill a little secret. Not all oncology nurses behind the scenes are crying with each other in the break room at work. If anything we are all probably laughing and cracking jokes. oncology nurses can have wicked senses of humor and thank goodness. Or most of us would really go crazy at work. Best of luck, Oncology is a great field. It is a constantly changing field with new treatments and research coming out all the time. Also best of luck with your current diagnosis. Hope everything goes well and you are cancer-free and working on an oncology unit real soon.