me5115

I think all new grads should work atleast 1-2 years med/surg. It brings everything together that you learned in school. The hospital I work at requires med/surg experience to work oncology. There is always the option to do both, thats my plan, work part-time while I'm going to school. Good Luuck ME5115

Warren, PA Its really rural. We mostly send pts to Pitts. for second opinions.

Thanks so much for the in-put. I love what I'm doing right now but feel like I could do more. I really trust my nurse manager and feel he would be honest with me. I could see our one doctor being difficult to work with, but she will probably have retired by then. I have a long road to go and I still have babies, so I'm taking my time with school. I feel as though if I don't start now, I never will. Thanks so much for being honest, I might have more questions in the future. Me5115

I have been working as a RN in an out patient Cancer Center for 4 years. I recently got my OCN certification. I am planning on returning to school part time to become a NP. I currently have my associates so my first step is my BSN. I hope to work at the Cancer Center as a NP. I wondered if anyone has any experience or advise about working in a Cancer Center as a NP. Thanks

Can you ask a drug reb? Next time there at my center Ill ask. Or I can ask my pharmacist. My center is very open. We are always asking the docs questions. Everyone needs back up checks. The 375/m2 sounds fine. We usually do 8 weeks. When are the pts scans ect. ordered, because they'll want to check that its working. Is the pt receiving chemo too? Rituxan in its self is not really toxic. Are the pts tolerating 12 weeks? Ill have to see what are NHL get exactly. We are a small center so we see all types of ca.

You can look up chemotherapy biotherapy courses they are offered at different places throughout the year. Im taking one in sept in harrisburg pa. If you dont work oncology at all, it would be helpful to have some experience. It would hard to follow unless you were familiar with the different drugs.

you can take a chemotherapy/biotherapy course with an exam at the end. You get a certificate at completion. Its not the same as the ONC exam.

When I first started at my job, I was sure I drew a waste tube on a pt. A similiar thing happened and all of her blood counts came back low. We were getting ready to blood band her and I thought Im going to redraw jic. Well the second tube came back wnl. What I think I did was when I was pulling back my saline flush, I wasted only enough to make my flush red, so I thought it was a full waste. The patient, family, and I were all talking and I was distracted. It sounds to me like you didnt get the full waste. I dont understand what the doctor said, it doesnt really make sense. Dont be afraid of ports. Its sounds like your placement was fine. I swore I drew my full waste too....remember to to look at the pt. My pt didnt look like her counts were that low. good luck.

We joke and call it THE NUMBER OF THE DAY....we even posted it on the dry erase board. right now we are using 11.4 for renal less than 10 for chemo pts. and we have to check ferritin level every 3 months. We are giving a ton of blood transfusions now... The procrit reb was layed off. We use mostly aranesp. Has anyone seen and clotting issues in their practice with using these drugs?

I work at an out pt cancer center, most of our pts have mediports. sometimes we end up with pts with picc lines. none of us are exactly sure how to flush them. We were told if it is a gershong it only needs flushed with saline. If it is a plain picc line with a clamp it needs flushed with saline and heparin. Does that make sense?

I work in a hospital base out pt chemo center, Its sounds very similar to your situation, Its a small community hospital. Except our in pt med surg nurses NEVER HANG CHEMO. We have a union and they probably would throw a fit. For the same reasons, if you dont do it every day, Its is scary.... Another reason why is our in pts are charged a flat day rate, so they may pay $2,000 a day, Well a cycle of some chemo could be $25,000. Thats a lot of money to eat. Whats your hospital do regarding billing? Also, we have to have a MD in the building at all times while chemo is running, Will you have to call the ER doctor if there is a reaction? Just some thoughts..Good luck

The vast majority of Lung ca pts will be dead within a year, its a horrible disease and a horrible death....

I went to vet assistant school and worked at a vet clinic for a year prior to nursing school. I currently work at an out pt. cancer center. My personal experience with pets with chronic ilnesses is not good. I have seen very sick dogs with peritinitis just moaning in pain. Its soooo hard to see pets go through that, and they dont understand why. They look up at you with these sad eyes. I could never imagine giving a dog chemo. Its hard enough for humans to get through. Sometimes quality of life out ways quantity, I would just enjoy the time you have left with your pet, and be comforted that they passed with dignety. But it is your decision, You'll have to feel comfortable with. Good Luck....

People make mistakes and thats why the checks are in place. But they are only as good as the poeple who use them. What happened with the aranesp thing, was the pt ok? My biggest fear is that the topotecan will drop the pts already low platelet count and his next chemo will be deferred. He is a young testicular with brain and lung mets, on his second round of chemo. He responded the first round, but relapsed quickly. It is sooooo important he gets the chemo on time. He already had to be decreased to 50% dose because of the platelets. Thanks again

The worse thing that could happen, happened today!!! The nurse I was working with gave a pt the wrong chemo. She hung another pts Topotecan instead of mesna... It makes me sick thinging about it. I have worked here for almost 2 years and I always do my double checks. The senior nurses however dont always. I had my gloves on ready to hang it and she had it in her hand ready. I said oh your hanging that. About 20 min I went to check on the pt and it was not hanging. I asked the other nurse about it and she said I didnt hang it. So we went to the counter and it was not there. But of course the bag of mesna was. I knew right then what she did. She ran to the other pt to shut off the topotecan. He already got most of it. So she left crying to tell the nurse manager. Later on, The manager asked to speak with me, I told him what I knew. He said well once you do your double checks you dont sit the chemo down, you hang it right then. Meaning she had me double check it. I said I didnt check it with her, unless the LPN did. I know she was covering herself. But half of the nurses dont follow protocol. It was bound to happen. We are so crazy busy back there, with a million interuptions and not enough room. On the bright side, maybe will get a better system set up. Anyone else have similiar experiences and whats your protocol for hanging chemo. Also if I see a nurse not doing the checks , is it my responcibility to say something. The nurses I work with have been doing it for 10to 20 yrs. Its kinda a difficult situation. Of course pt safety should be before stepping on someones toes.