New to oncology! !

[David Offenbaker, BSN, RN]

Hi everyone,

Just accepted a job in an oncology clinic. I have dealt with a few cancer patients on the med-surg floor, but am still wondering what to expect.

Anyone have any words of wisdom?

Dave

[globalRN]

hem/onc patients are wonderful to work with

if you enjoy making a difference, oncology is where it is at

read up on the most common cancers: lung colon breast and prostate

and their treatments....you will have a baseline knowledge

getting your ocn is worthwhile because you will find that you will learn a lot while caring

for this population and studying the material.

i am a NP and was amazed at all the info a ocn nurse should know...hats off to all of them

[Conrad283, BSN, RN]

You'll find things a lot different.

There are patients that are very sick and they come in quite often. The staff grows a fondness for these patients. I work as a clerk on an oncology floor and I know that some nurses have gone to patients funeral's when they pass. The nurses share in joy and sorrow, laughed and cried. It's tough, but it'll become second nature.

Good luck

[R0xyg4l]

I wish you the best of luck. When I first got my position in onc/hem I was told the patients were so great to work with and I guess I had a typical misconception that cancer is terminal and it must be really depressing. Well I've found that my patients are the greatest. They have wonderful personalities and I see them so often for growth factor injections that I really get to know them and their families. It has been sad when we lose a patient or to help a patient with side effects like losing hair for some female patients I've had. It's sometimes helpful just to give a hug or a pat on the back or hand. There doesn't always have to be words. We have so many resources there is always a way to help. Sometimes people ask me how I do it and how depressing it must be and I just tell them I do it because I love to, my patients are amazing and cancer is not always a terminal illness. You have to have hope or otherwise you're in the wrong speciality. Best of luck!!

[psalm, RN]

Don't take any short cuts on safety when you are administering and disposing chemo and supplies. It is toxic!

[R0xyg4l]

Good point Psalm! Be sure to have all of your chemo bags double checked and if you give chemo through IVs be extra cautious. If you do growth factor injections go incredibly slow, they can hurt badly.