HELP! Interested in Oncology Nursing

[miriam_marie]

I'm currently in school, getting my basics done. I'll be attending nursing school (hopefully) fall of 2014. I've wanted to do oncology nursing since I was about 13, but I have no idea how to go about it. I will graduate from my school with a BSN in nursing. I've heard I need to go get my masters to become an oncology/hematology nurse, I've heard I don't need to, I've heard I can just work anywhere and then hopefully transfer in. My DREAM is to work at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, Texas. It's where I got my interest in oncology and where I learned everything I know about oncology, and where oncology changed my life. I'd love to work with the patients there. If anyone knows any way about how to go about it, please let me know.

Thank you!

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

No, you do not need your masters to work in pediatric oncology unless you want to be an NP or a CNS. I would suggest that you get some applicable experience now- volunteer at camps for children with cancer (they're all over the place), volunteer in the playroom in your local pediatric hospital or try to get a job as an aide on a pediatric oncology floor. Whether or not you can get a job in pediatric oncology at Texas Children's as a new grad will depend on several basic things- are there any job openings? Are they hiring new grads? Can you sell yourself to them over all of the other applicants? Any of the above suggestions I gave you will give you an edge there.