How do you cope emotionally in peds oncology!

[PedsRN1975]

So here it is, I will graduate next year but right now I work as an NA on the oncology floor. I LOVE THIS UNIT, I have no doubt whatsoever that this is where I want to be and nothing makes me feel better than being able to make one of my kids smile. While I absolutely love all the patients, one of them in particularly got to me, and I spend a lot of time when not on the floor, thinking about this patient and what I can do to make him feel better. Yesterday I spoke to his doctor who told me that his prognosis are not very good and it just crushed me, I cried all the way home and now I want to donate my bone marrow. I know that he is just one of the very many heartbreaks I will experience on this unit along with all the blessings and joy. However being pretty new in this, I was wondering how some of you manage to care and love for this children but on the other hand not need therapy everytime one of them is not doing well. By the sheer nature of oncology you get to know the kids very well because of the length they are with us and the more you know them the more it hurts. So what coping mechanisms have you developed? Thanks, all of you, allnurses is such a wonderful resource for nurses but specially for the ones starting the profession, it's like having thousands of mentors available 24/7.

Happy Holidays Everyone!