Need help. starting as a travel on a heme/onc floor

[DatMurse]

Hi,

I accepted a travel position at stanford on the heme/onc unit. I am a little scared because this is my first assignment and I worked in a medical and onc unit. I know that the hospital trains and is supposed to be extremely traveler friendly. I honestly want to bust my butt and try to learn more about what to expect. I bought a heme/onc book to learn more about it and prepare for work.

On my unit my general chemo onc patients were blood cancer pts. I had a breast cancer but the general chemos were clofarabine, cytarabine, cyclophosphamide, velcade, vidazia.

Monitor them while they get chemo and away from their nadir stage. I followed orders, monitored patients for changes, sepsis, possible rapid response, or even treated them while they are septic.

This will be a big learning experience for me and the nurse manager knows it. First time in strict onc, first time with epic. I told him I am very tech savvy and I am very fast any system. I also told him I used EPIC in nursing school.

This was the longest interview I had and that included general hospital jobs. He asked me how I was as a person and behavioral questions. I dont know if he liked my personality or what, but he asked me about some hard questions.

They were some hard questions that I would have never expected.... He asked about a time when I had to make important decisions under high stress, professional or personal.

I told him that I had 3 deaths in nursing school. My grandma(MM cancer)(why I wanted to be a nurse), my father(suicide), and my little cousin(Sarcoma cancer). He just kept saying "oh my god".

I asked him if I work really hard could I get permanent placement. He said yes.

I guess I am a little terrified because I may be held to a higher degree because I am a traveler. However, I would want to be there for good because multiple myeloma was the original reason I wanted to be a nurse. So the heme onc floor seems the best for me.

How much does patient care vary form this to a strict heme onc floor? Do you think they train travelers as well? I wonder how much harder it will be from my previous job. I know that I have seen alot of stuff on my previous floor where I am sitting there wondering if my patient will go south real fast. I will be working nights.

Like I know I am capable and making sure a patient will not die, giving chemotherapy, monitoring for minor/major changes. I think I also have great bedside manner. I guess I am just skeptical of myself and always was wondering of my full capabilities.

Sorry for the long ramble. Just needed to ask questions/vent. BTW after this assignment I am going to apply/study for my OCN