New Grad & New Oncology Nurse!

Published

Specializes in ER/Forensics/Disaster.

Just looking for any advice you can give me regarding the oncology aspect of nursing. Any tips you have learned, tricks to pass on.. Advice?? Thank you all!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Surgical Oncology- just starting.

Congratulations!!!! I too am a new BSN Grad RN (December 13th) and a new oncology nurse. HoorahFly, the ONS has a mentor program available that I am planning to participate. You can check it out at http://www.ons.org/membership/mentoring/. I too would like to hear about any tips from our senior colleagues as we start our new career. Wishing you well.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Thanks for the link scadams29. I'm a new grad too and will be soon working in an Oncology unit for a hospital. I was hoping to get a med/surg position but with the economy today, it is so difficult to just get a new grad job in the acute care setting.

How do you like it so far?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Surgical Oncology- just starting.

Luckyfortune.

I have not started yet. I'll be on an oncology med/surg floor in women's health- so mostly gynecological cancers. I plan to take and pass my nclex in march and will start then. What area are you from? What type of oncology floor are you or will you be working on?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

scadams29:

Best of luck with your NCLEX! I live in SF bay area and will be working in the Oncology unit in one of the hospitals in the East Bay. Where are you from?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Surgical Oncology- just starting.

Luckyfortune:

Thanks! I live in the northeast ohio area (Cleveland-Akron). Have you taken your NCLEX yet? When will you start your orientation?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Hi ,

I will graduate in May 2009 and I 'm interested in oncology floor. Do you know where I can find a job in hospital on this floor, as you know the economy right now is so bad, It is not so easy to find a job for a new graduate student. Do you give me some hints?

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I am assuming that everyone in this thread who was getting ready to start in their new positions as an oncology nurse has done so by now. I am also interested in oncology nursing. How do you like it so far? What are the good points and the bad points? Good luck to all of you! I hope you're loving your new jobs! :)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Oncology, Hospice, Med-Surg.
I am assuming that everyone in this thread who was getting ready to start in their new positions as an oncology nurse has done so by now. I am also interested in oncology nursing. How do you like it so far? What are the good points and the bad points? Good luck to all of you! I hope you're loving your new jobs! :)

I'm a new nurse who has been working oncology since May and did an internship for a year as a student nurse in oncology and I think the best parts are that the vast majority of the families really value you and appreciate you. I dropped a piece of paper the other night at work and a patient's son picked it up and handed it to me and said I want you and the techs to know that we appreciate everything and our dad is grateful. The families always send us cards, pictures and food to show appreciation. This goes a long way when you're running yourself ragged and skipping meals. The hard part is we have a lot of frequent flyers and we get to know them and their kids and family and when they pass it's tough. I've always been psychologically tough it's almost a requirement being raised in a military family but I still have to fight back tears at times. I love that the doctors aren't afraid of pain medicine. I am a major stickler on making sure they have as much pain relief as possible. Overall I love it, and you learn to appreciate every day of your life more watching these patients make tough decisions and knowing you'll try to support the patient while they make whatever decisions are necessary.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

thank you for the info, noblepath! the more i hear about oncology nursing, the more i want to do it. i've done my clinicals with geriatrics and in long-term acute care and wasn't overly excited about either although i did like geriatrics best of the two. a few days ago, my friend who is an oncologist/hematologist allowed me to shadow her and her nurse for the day. i was amazed at the relationships they both had w/their patients. i think this may be a good fit for me as i want to be able to get to know the patients and their families and give them the best care possible. that is so important to me! i wish you the best of luck in your career--it sounds like you are already doing very well. :ancong!:

Up Vote Up Vote ×
I am assuming that everyone in this thread who was getting ready to start in their new positions as an oncology nurse has done so by now. I am also interested in oncology nursing. How do you like it so far? What are the good points and the bad points? Good luck to all of you! I hope you're loving your new jobs! :)

I also graduated in May and started working on an oncology floor. I really love it. I agree with everything the prior poster said. Even in my three months on the floor, I have gotten to know many patients that have returned several times. I also have worked with many families dealing with terminal diagnoses, their last weeks of life, battling through chemotherapy . . . it has been a varied and wonderful experience. Plus of course you are learning all your general med-surg skills. I really love it so far and hope to stay for a long time. The only negative is that it is very very busy. Someone in cancer treatment needs tremendous nursing support -- fluids, anti-emetics, several antivirals, antibiotics and antifungals, blood, platelets, K-runs -- all through IV. It is sometimes impossible to get them all done. Plus fevers, nausea, mucositis. There is a lot of nursing involved. Not to mention the need to support the patient psychologically and deal with the family. As a new nurse I am not dealing with chemotherapy yet, but add that in too and you have a very busy nurse.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Hello,

I am a recent grad (August 2010) with my BSN and I will be starting on an Oncology floor November 1st :yeah:

I have a question for all of you who started out your nursing career on an Oncology floor: Did you use/ or could you recommend any books that you found particularly helpful starting out on this floor? I'm looking for a book that would really help me understand all the different types of cancer, medications, and nursing interventions....

I would appreciate any help or feedback.

Thanks :bowingpur

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion