New RN Interview

Daisy4RN · Jan 14, 2020

Congrats on getting to the interview. Besides all the normal interview questions I would want to find out about training specific for Oncology pts in general, and specific to the type of unit also, chemo, rad, medical or surgical Onc unit, ONS certificate requirements, and do they offer any financial assisstance/perks. Also they will probably ask why you are interested in Onc. Once you are hired you can expect a large learning curve as there will be many classes and you will most likely need to obtain your chemo admin certificate. I wouldnt worry too much about that just yet though, just focus on the interview , nail it, and then figure out the rest later, they will teach you what you need to know. Good Luck in your new career path. Oncology can be very intense but also very rewarding!

OncologyCat, BSN, RN · Feb 5, 2020

Which onc unit are you interviewing for? Med onc is different from surg onc is different from rad onc is different from heme onc ? I’ve always been working in med onc/heme onc with limited surg onc experience, so depending on which pt population you have the points of emphasis are different. For heme onc I’d probably ask about pt load, frequency of chemo, what policies are in place for chemo hypersensitivity rxn, ICU transfer process, any help when you need a rapid response, pt population (see if there’s any med surg overflow or surg onc overflow or BMT included), how the unit will train you got chemo admin/onc knowledge.

NikiRN, ASN · Feb 5, 2020

Hi thanks for the response! I actually interviewed with the director of med onc and surg onc and they offered me a position in Med Onc, which I accepted! She told me their patient:nurse ratio is generally 4:1, and we did go over additional training and certification requirements.

I wish I would've asked about overflow but I guess at this point I'll find out soon (start the 17th ?).

If there's anything you can think of that I may want to do to prepare for the position, please let me know!

OncologyCat, BSN, RN · Feb 5, 2020

Congratulations!!! I love oncology so much and I think (I’m biased ofc) onc pts are the best! They just have so much drive in them. You’ll learn so much about different workups and treatment plans for different onc diagnoses, and you’ll learn so much about chemo/biotherapies. I say for now enjoy the time you have and come in with a fresh mind ? I don’t know if your workplace offer classes like intro to onc or sth along the like, but if not, your nurse educators and peers are good resources. Good luck!

Daisy4RN · Feb 11, 2020

Congrats on the new position. I wouldnt go too much in depth trying to figure out Onc stuff because they will train you according to their policies/procedures. If you are going to brush up on anything I would just study general Oncology diseases etc.

Onc can be stressful at times but also very rewarding, good luck!

Quota, BSN, RN · Feb 28, 2020

Congrats on the job. I just hit 1 year as a new grad on a med/heme onc unit at the beginning of the month. I kinda just fell into Onc as it was not what I was looking for as a new grad but where I finally got a job offer. I have really enjoyed it overall and intend to stick around for a decent bit. Reenforced two days ago when I got floated for the first time to a medsurg unit, I missed my Onc floor so much haha. It was a rough day for sure. We do get some general medsurg overflow pts on my floor occasionally and I will say as a general rule I prefer our Onc pts over the medsurg pts 8 times out of 10.

Depending on your unit needs I would expect to start working on your chemo certification within a few months of getting off orientation. Hopefully your job will pay for the certification. Then as you approach two years they might start talking about getting your ONC. In between you should be learning about they different cancers frequently seen on your unit and the treatments usually seen for them. It’s a steep learning curve for sure, good luck!