New Grad in Oncology

[inthecosmos, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN]

Hey! I cannot believe that literally two years ago today I was sitting here frantically accepting my admission letter for my local ADN program! It is even harder to believe that in five short weeks I will be graduating said program with honors.

In all the chaos of the end of the program, I had my first interview today. Luckily, it was with a wonderful nurse manager on a floor for my first choice, oncology. Around 6 or so tonight, I was extended an offer to join the team at the largest/number one Comprehensive Cancer Center in NC! I'm beyond ecstatic and cannot hide my joy, honestly.

So, I came here to ask seasoned nurses what their advice is going into oncology. I've done a 4-5 month clinical rotation on an oncology floor and know some of the basics, but would love to hear advice on how working in oncology is for you guys!

Thank you ahead of time :)

[OCNRN63, RN]

Join Oncology Nurses Society. It has a wealth of information for new and experienced oncology nurses. Joining it will give you discounts on CE as well as certification, should you choose to take the certification exam down the road. You will be able to join your local ONS Chapter; the monthly meetings often have educational presentations, as well as opportunities to network with other oncology nurses in your area.

I would suggest getting the ONS Core Curriculum (not the study guide). It's a comprehensive review of oncology. You'll be able to refer back to it as you grow in your role and it will help you increase your in-depth understanding of oncology.

Find out if you're going to be giving chemotherapy/biotherapy, and if you'll be required to take the ONS Chemotherapy/Biotherapy course (which is now all online). They have a Handbook of Chemotherapy/Biotherapy which gives you a lot of the information you'll need to give these agents safely. I wouldn't buy that right away until you find out if/how much of these drugs you'll be giving.

Good luck!