darms

Hi I just wanted to post my situation for some feed back. I used to work in oncology for 3 yrs steady, I was hired into a salery position and later this position was cut (as everyones was that was salery that did not have a 40 hr position). My job title did not change at all and I did the same thing. Well I put up with it because I had to and I loved oncology. Well later we needed a per diem nurse and one was hired, he ended up getting a 0.8 position which is what I continued to have and now because of his additional position sometimes they did not need both of us so we had to take turns being low needed even though I had two and half more yrs. experience. Well because of this I deciced to take a position in home heath and stay on call in oncology. Well I did not get the chance to work in oncology very often but maintained my Chemo/Biotherapy certification. I really did not like home healthh so I decided to try and get back into oncology via working for a traveling agency. I ended up getting a contract but after two weeks the private physicians office nurse manager did not want me to continue as she stated that I was a good nurse great personality but she needed someone that could walk in and take right over. This clinic does not have EMR's and the hand written orders are sometimes not clear. Many patients just walked into the infusion room with no new orders, no lab slips filled out, and this clinic does a lot of blood and platelets. Also they mix premeds in a buretrol (which I last used yrs ago with pediatric patients). Also I ws exspected to know the billing system, as well as she was attempting to teach me the computer system for scheduling patients Also I ws told that after every chemo drug is marked it was placed in a chemo bag and marked with a black check which indicated that the bag was checked. Once I found one with a little fox like smile and when I asked about it I was told that was how a nurse named Akiko marked the chemo she checked. Everychair was always full, pumps going off all over,and no clear orders and even daily hydration hard IV stick patients would have IV's removed and have to be restarted each time. Ports would re accessed daily for hydration. Anyway what is some others opinions on having a traveler come in and be exspected to take over the team leaders positon who has held this position for 11 yrs., and knows this private practice like the back of her hand. Oh and to add to this they just lost one of their oncologist just this past April, he died suddenly from a heart attack in his sleep. In fact one day I was going to start a patients iv and she ask me if one of the nurses in the practice could start it and then started crying and saying she has seen so many changes, and she missed the doctor that had died. Could someone that has traveled in oncology let me know how their experience was, because I traveled in the past but in med/surg and I never had a problem in fact I was asked to return. Thanks.

I am sorry for your situation, I have been in a similar situation. You didn't say why your employer terminated you, but the fact that you have not heard from the board of nursing is good. I really feel for you I am kind of in the same place. I worked in oncology for 3 yrs left that position because they cut my salery position ( anyone that did not work 40 hrs that was salery across the board was made hourly) adding insult to injury they hired a per dium nurse and gave him the same amount of hrs as me than they did not have enough patient load so low needed us! Because of this I took a position with the same hospital in home health but did not like it I did it for a yr. I than took a traveling position in oncology but I'm afraid my skills are a little rusty, the physicians office I was doing a contract at wanted a nurse that could step in and basically fill the shoes of a nurse that has been working for them for 11 yrs, I'm afraid that was a bit much to ask so I am again unemployed with really no idea what I am going to do and seriously am thinking about leaving nursing all together after nineteen yrs. maybe its a time for a career chamge for you also.