Oncology or telemetry?

MedSurge/Tele is arguably the most challenging environment for a new nurse due to the fast pace & very diverse patient population. But, at the same time - it is also can provide the best opportunity for rapid development of clinical competency. You'd have exposure to all types of patients & probably be able to discover whether you want to move into a clinical specialty - because you really enjoy taking care of those types of patients. If you are not naturally adept at multi-tasking, it may be a very stressful environment due to the continuous barrage of information and the frequency with which you will have to re-prioritize tasks.

In a typical oncology unit, you will have the opportunity to 'dig deep' into a single specialty. The patients stay a bit longer, and may return on a regular basis so you can get to know them. This can also be heart-breaking as you may watch some of your favorite patients losing the battle with their disease.

Inasmuch as I have not worked tele, I cannot offer you advice on that specialty.

However, I started my nursing career in oncology. The wealth of knowledge I garnered in that specialty has been invaluable. I learned how to use central lines, became comfortable with TPN, cut my teeth in inpatient hospice nursing, learned how to titrate a morphine drip, certified in chemo and biotherapy administration, and learned an incredible amount of general information on the physiology of the body (specifically the immune system) as well as the pathophysiology of cancers and how procedures such as bone marrow transplants and their complications affect the body as a whole.

The knowledge burden is intense. For the first year or so, I was constantly asking questions and trying to figure out how the nurses who'd been doing it longer than me kept so much information in their heads. As oncology is a rapidly changing specialty, new treatments, clinical trials and the like are also a big part of caring for patients. If you're really passionate about caring for folks with cancer and you want to learn every day for the rest of your career, I'd strongly encourage you to pursue this field.

I had clinical rotations on both units (im a new grad working in LTC now). I enjoyed the pace of tele unit (as a student, lol) but became super depressed during and after the oncology rotation.

I have worked in tele as an LVN years ago. If you start out in tele and build solid experience there, you'll be ready for pretty much anything. You learn tons. Almost all cardiac patients have co-morbidities; you'll learn not only all things cardiac but also deal with diabetics and renal patients. You'll be ACLS certified, and learn EKG interpretation (and put it to daily use instead of getting rusty and forgetting like how I am now!) I don't know what your long-term goals are, but if you're interested in critical care in the future, tele would be a good place to start.

As for oncology, exactly what SoldierNurse said.

I now work in hem/onc/BMT, and I wouldn't trade it for the world. The biggest difference from tele (aside from the obvious difference of specialty) would be the depth of relationship-building with your patients. A tele patient might stay for a few days. An oncology patient stays for weeks or even months, and they also keep coming back. And so, you get to know them very well... which can lead to a great sense of satisfaction for a nurse, but also heartache.

Go for oncology if you're passionate about it and you know you'll be happy delving into all things cancer. Oncology patients are also one of the best patient population to work with.

Go for tele if you want to learn caring for variety of patient population, or if you want critical care someday.

Ultimately though, both are great specialties that are intellectually stimulating and provide a lot of room for growth for a nurse. Good luck with your interviews!

Interesting topic because I was struggling between cardiac care unit and oncology. I love both specialties, but ended up taking the offer from oncology. It's a patient population that I feel very strongly about, and sometimes, it's hard for me to leave my judgmental attitude at the door with some of the cardiac patients. After I graduate in May and get through my orientation, I want to get chemo certified immediately.

Thank you everyone for the awesome insight! I guess well see how the interviews go!