i'm lost and feel trapped

Specialties Oncology

Published

Hey everybody,

I need some work advice from those of you who've been on the oncology for a while now. I'm a new grad., took my last exam 10 days ago and started to work 5 days ago. I accepted a position on what I thought at the time to be an oncology/hematology floor. I was hoping for an oncology/palliative floor like the one I did my internship on and when I spoke to the head nurse of the floor that i'm on now, she made it sound like they do have some palliative pt. but the main thing on the floor was oncology/hematology. I started last wednesday and found out that yes, it is an onco/hema floor but also an acute medicine. The nurses there run around from place to place, and when I asked my perceptor how often she get to sit down and talk to her pt. she replied "not that often". I'm disappointed, and scared that I got myself into something that is too big for me. I know I shouldn't judge based on the two days that I was there, but i've been coming home crying and I feel cheated. I don't want to give up so quickly, sometimes during my shift I feel like I can do this and that everything is going to be fine...then there are times I feel like just going home...to top everything, I already had two incidence with not so kind nurses....Is this normal...to feel like this? any words of wisdom from you guys would be appreciated....I have to go back on Monday to do a 12 hrs shift...I was so upset on Thursday that I actually left the floor with tears in my eyes...my preceptor came after me to ask if i'll be back on Monday, I said that I will b/c I'm not the type of person to give up...but still...So confused...

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Specializes in ER, Research.

it's frustrating when non-oncology pts get placed on a floor as specialized as oncology. i see it happen at my hospital. maybe after gaining some experience, consider outpatient. i've done work in rad/onc depts. and infusion centers in a cancer center and you do get the time to sit & talk with pts. as for palliative care, they have a lot of in-house hospice, but oncology rns can do a lot of palliative care for cancer pts. it stinks that it's so busy on your floor, it sounds like you're an asset to hem/onc.;)

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Specializes in med surg, oncology, outpt and hospice.

I worked on oncology floors for 9 years of my 11 year career. Unfortunately most hospitals just look to fill beds. I worked on heme/onc floors where I had generic patients for whatever they came in for. When I worked on a surg/onc floor we would get general surgery patients from time to time.

As far as getting time to sit and talk with patients no matter what kind of floor you are on when you do get the time it is because you made time to do it. Not just because it is this floor or that. You will always have days when you think to your self 'Did I pee today?' at the end of a 12 hr shift. That is nursing. Just focus on your patients and give the best care you can one patient at a time. Don't judge the floor by two days, take a few weeks or months then see if you like/dislike the floor. Hang in there!:monkeydance:

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Specializes in cardiac med-surg.

awwwww pum

hope things improve soon

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Specializes in onc, M/S, hospice, nursing informatics.

I work on a hem/onc floor and we also get hospice/terminal patients. However, with 23 beds, we also get CVA's, UTI's, dementia, pneumonia, and everything else inbetween. Although this is not what I would prefer, I have learned a great deal of assessment skills in the process, and it has given me a good foundation on which to build my nursing career.

If you leave now, you will have missed out on a lot. Could you work another shift (such as 11p-7a) so that you can get your nursing skills down at a bit slower pace? It's not always quiet, but it is almost always better than days or evenings. That's what I did and it made a world of difference. Had I stayed on day shift, I would not have made it this far. Hang in there... it will get better!

:icon_hug:

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Cardiac, ICU.

Just a thought. I'm taking community health nursing right now and we're learning about public health nursing. Maybe you could try that. They seem to have plenty of time to talk to their patients.

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This has always been a sticking point for me. I worked for years on an oncology unit, and any time someone was admitted with even a remote history of cancer, they came to our floor no matter what their admitting problem was... We also got a ton of med/surg patients--- we were also not allowed to save beds for "our" patients, even those who we knew were being admitted for chemo, etc. So very often, our cancer patients under current treatment ended up scattered throughout the facility, because we'd filled up with non-oncology patients.

Like it was said above, the hospital only looked to fill beds; patient placement didn't matter to them. Only the orthopedic floor was allowed to take only their own patients--- because they had a manager with the cojones to stand up to administration AND ortho docs who demanded their patients be on that unit exclusively.

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Specializes in Did the job hop, now in MS. Not Bad!!!!!.
I work on a hem/onc floor and we also get hospice/terminal patients. However, with 23 beds, we also get CVA's, UTI's, dementia, pneumonia, and everything else inbetween. Although this is not what I would prefer, I have learned a great deal of assessment skills in the process, and it has given me a good foundation on which to build my nursing career.

If you leave now, you will have missed out on a lot. Could you work another shift (such as 11p-7a) so that you can get your nursing skills down at a bit slower pace? It's not always quiet, but it is almost always better than days or evenings. That's what I did and it made a world of difference. Had I stayed on day shift, I would not have made it this far. Hang in there... it will get better!

:icon_hug:

So Mom, is it easier as a new grad to work night shift? I was just accepted to an oncology/renal floor and will be working 7P-7A.

Chloe:nurse:

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Specializes in onc, M/S, hospice, nursing informatics.
So Mom, is it easier as a new grad to work night shift? I was just accepted to an oncology/renal floor and will be working 7P-7A.

Chloe:nurse:

Chloe,

I think it is. I had some great experienced nurses who guided me along the way... and I think that is the key. Let me know how it goes!

mom

;)

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Specializes in Did the job hop, now in MS. Not Bad!!!!!.
Chloe,

I think it is. I had some great experienced nurses who guided me along the way... and I think that is the key. Let me know how it goes!

mom

;)

Can ya wait a few weeks? I don't officially start til then. LOL. But glad to know I will be starting easy.

Thanks!

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Oncology/Hematology BMT IS in my opinion is an ICU only more difficult and more dangerous. The positive of learning on this unit is you will have so many advanced skills that you could take with you later in your career but..IT IS VERY INTIMIDATING. KEEP WITH IT FOR A WHILE.

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