Options in Oncology

julgard · Dec 9, 2014

I'm sorry, I won't be any help but I will graduate soon and I'm interested in oncology. I don't have oncology experience though and have been applying for med/surg RN jobs to gain experience before I try to transition to oncology. Could you tell me what you tell me why you don't like your job? What is it that makes you want to leave? Just curious if I can learn from your experience?

melizerd, ASN, RN · Dec 9, 2014

Are you interested in a hospital position? I work on an oncology floor, with some med/surg misc patients (also the ICU step down) so I see all kinds of things depending on the day.

Otherwise a cancer clinic or private practice would be something to consider. My hospital has its own cancer clinic.

julgard · Dec 10, 2014

I'll be moving to a town with an oncology clinic but I don't believe that they have a floor dedicated to oncology. Definitely something to check out. I feel drawn towards oncology because I think receiving a cancer diagnosis is such a seminal moment in a person's life and I would like to play a role and help someone in such a time of need. I like having more of a relationship and seeing a patient's progress then I see during my preceptorship on a surgical unit. I wanted to hear oncology nurses experiences to see if I can learn from them.

db2xs · Dec 12, 2014

Could you tell me what you tell me why you don't like your job? What is it that makes you want to leave? Just curious if I can learn from your experience?

I am not totally keen to work in a hospital, and it has nothing to do with specializing in oncology. I like working in oncology. The most positive thing about working in a hospital is that I only have to work three shifts a week.

db2xs · Dec 12, 2014

Are you interested in a hospital position? I work on an oncology floor, with some med/surg misc patients (also the ICU step down) so I see all kinds of things depending on the day.
Otherwise a cancer clinic or private practice would be something to consider. My hospital has its own cancer clinic.

I am not interested in working in a hospital, although I thought that acute care was supposed to be the "end-all, be-all" to learn it all, according to those in school.

By your description, we might work on the same unit! lol

db2xs · Dec 12, 2014

I'll be moving to a town with an oncology clinic but I don't believe that they have a floor dedicated to oncology. Definitely something to check out. I feel drawn towards oncology because I think receiving a cancer diagnosis is such a seminal moment in a person's life and I would like to play a role and help someone in such a time of need. I like having more of a relationship and seeing a patient's progress then I see during my preceptorship on a surgical unit. I wanted to hear oncology nurses experiences to see if I can learn from them.

I understand and relate to your reasons for wanting to work in oncology; those were some of mine as well. I think as a first-year nurse, however, I have been spending a lot of my mine trying to just get used to everything. There are the occasional beautiful moments when I am able to spark a bond albeit fleeting, with a patient, but those are few and far between. What with all the chemo, blood transfusions, respiratory therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, etc., there is not a lot of time to develop relationships, although good vibes can be there.

I think to develop a relationship, probably long-term care or primary care would fit the bill, although I do see the shortcomings in those as well.

danceyrun · Dec 12, 2014

Bone marrow transplant.

SierraBravo · Dec 13, 2014

Hi. I currently work in an acute care cancer hospital and am really not enjoying it. I am wondering what my options are for working in oncology outside of this, other than clinic/ambulatory. Perhaps a private practice? What does one even do in a private oncology practice? The same as in ambulatory? I am a nurse with less than one years' experience. Thank you.

Why do you not enjoy being in the hospital? It sounds as if your expectation of hospital medicine/oncology is far different than what you are experiencing. But what you described above is precisely "hospital hem/onc", so I guess I'm not sure where the disconnect is/was for you. When you speak of building connections with people, you can do that regardless of the specialty. Also, you say that you have less than a year of experience; the more experience you have the better. If you leave now (or even at the year mark), you're marginally more qualified for a lateral position than a new grad. Based on your posts, it sounds like you might thrive as a psych nurse. Have you considered that?