Pediatric Oncology

[Finna22]

Hey Guys!

Great news! I landed my dream job in Pediatric Oncology!! I guess dreams do come true :) I'm honored to have been given this opportunity and cannot wait to start. Unfortunately, when I did my pediatric rotation in Nursing School, it was hospital policy that Nursing students could no preform any procedures. Foley's, IV's, etc. had to be placed by the RN. I understand the idea behind this hospitals policy, but now am a little nervous that I have no experience preforming these procedures on children. Although I do have SOME experience with adults, I know that it is going to be much more difficult with children (parents watching, children scared, smaller/ more fragile veins). I absolutely hate that I have no experience with this because my learning curve will impact my patient... and the last thing I want to do is cause unnecessary pain to a child. SOOOO with all that said, do you guys have any tips/tricks/words of wisdom/ or advice for me? I am open to any ideas may have and want to do whatever I can to better myself for my patients.

Also, any good websites or books you can suggest for a Ped. Onc nurse?

Thanks in advance for your support :)

[ShantheRN, BSN, RN]

Welcome aboard! :) It's a challenging specialty, but well worth it. I can't give any words of wisdom other than practice but I can tell you this - PIVs aren't common for pedi onc patients. I've been on my unit almost a year and I've yet to start an IV on anyone. You'll become a pro at central line care. Same with Foleys. We don't like sticking tubes in kids with no ANC. Ask for help, too! I was terrified about accessing ports but now I don't bat an eye. It gets easier after a while.

If you want IV practice, ask if you can go to OR or ED for a few shifts. Your unit educator can arrange it and there are lots more opportunities for sticks there. Bonus of OR - you get to practice on a kid that's perfectly still. Gotta start somewhere right?

[KelRN215, BSN, RN]

ShantheRN beat me to what I was going to say. In oncology, you won't encounter very many peripheral IVs. You'll see CVLs, PICCs and ports every day. Foleys are not all that common in children and you would most often see them in post-op patients. In that case, they would be placed in the OR. In 5 years of working inpatient in pediatrics, I think I placed one foley and that was in an infant with spina bifida who'd yet to have his urodynamics study and it was replacing it because the balloon in the original one deflated. The most common tube you'll place will likely be an NG tube.