WildGinger

I have been working on a medical oncology unit for 5 years, and am wanting to move outpatient. I applied for radiation oncology unit position, and have been notified that HR wants to do a phone interview with me. I don't know that I will have a chance to ask any questions, but if I do, I want to be prepared with a few intelligent questions. One question I have used before is, "What kind of person would you say does well on this unit?" I have noticed that postings for this unit are rare, and I want to ask about that (staff are so satisfied they never leave?) I would appreciate any suggestions for questions to ask specific to a radiation oncology unit, as I have only seen such a unit once, when I went in with my dad for his treatment. Thanks!

Well shut my mouth, I need to count my blessings more often. I can't imagine what it's like to have management so actively working against you, so I can't offer any advice from someone who's been there. Have you read any of Suzanne Gordon's books? She is a phenomenal voice for nursing, she has a book called Safety in Numbers, Nurse to Patient Ratios and the Future of Health Care (I've only read "Nursing Against the Odds"). Perhaps there are stories in there of nurses who faced your predicament and what they did about it. But really your story seems like a snapshot of what is happening all over the country in nursing. I am glad you are fighting, and I hope you can inspire others to do the same.

It sound like you are in this almost alone! How can you make sure management is aware that these views aren't yours alone - how can the nurses on your unit act as a group? If nurses really are about to quit, what would they have to lose by informing management of this fact, and the reasons, in detail? It seems like there might not be so much to lose from some kind of activism, if nurses are really about to head out the door due to poor ratios. All I'm saying, is it's really tough to do this alone, perhaps you could figure out how to recruit your peers in this fight. In the long term, my first thought was, you need a union. That's what a good union does, negotiate with management on behalf of nurses. In my state, Washington, my union is lobbying the state legislature for safe staffing ratios, and advising members which politicians support nursing. But many people have negative views of unions, and not all of them are effective. I'd love to hear how your meeting goes, or how it went if it's already over. Best of luck

I'm not sure what you mean by the basics? In the last year of my program we were still doing a lot of pathophysiology, and I can say that my oncology patients have all kinds of problems besides cancer. Pneumonia, arthritis, heart problems, diabetes, recent surgery, crohn's, dementia, delirium, infections, on and on. I say, stuff your brain as full as you can, you'll need it all and then some. Hope that helps! And congratulations on your recovery!