cancer.sucks

To get the OCN test blueprint and booklet that includes recommended resources, go to the ONCC website. However, if you just want to know the primary book to study, get the most recent Core Curriculum for Oncology Nursing and the study guide that goe...

I rarely dream about work. However, in the early years of my career I had to carefully choose an alarm clock that would wake me up, but that did not sound like any of the alarms at work. If my clock alarm sounded remotely like any alarm at work I w...

Transitioning to a career from college causes anxiety regardless of the degree. I really think that it is compounded for nursing because you are acutely aware that how well you do your job directly can affect the health of someone else. The person ...

I prefer to subscribe to specialty (oncology) journals. However, if you are a med/surg nurse facing a multitude of diagnoses, then it can be a valuable tool for you. If I remember correctly, the CEUs generally have an online link by which you can s...

Pain is defined as what the patient says it is occurring when the patient says it does. That is a fact. While we as nurses have a tendency not to believe the patient that is asking for pain meds while on the phone, doing her nails, and reading a ma...

but there are medications ie. chemo meds given IV push but are required to be administered over 15mins. When a chemotherapy medication is given IV push blood return also has to be frequently assessed. The nurse has to be in complete control of the i...

Epic is set up to be user friendly regardless of where or how often the patient enters the healthcare system. If one of my oncology patients shows up in the ER, the ER staff can very easily how long ago the patient had chemotherapy, blood transfusio...

Be careful about using an outdated text. The OCN exam is evaluated every 3 years for outdated information questions and anything referring to outdated information is thrown out. If you use an outdated text, you may well review information that you ...

The reason for using a 10ml syringe to push medications through a portacath (or a PICC line for that matter) is because of the pressure caused by pushing a medication. The smaller the syringe the greater PSI that is provided with each push. There a...

I love that you said that SoldierNurse22!! I have been primarily in adult oncology, but come from the land of St. Jude Hospital although I do not live there anymore. When an adult patient loses their battle with cancer there are many more people imp...

I hope that you can find a way to value all of the experiences that you have with your patients--the good and the bad. I have told many people that there are few things in this world that I do well. Being an oncology nurse is what I am proudest of ...

I gave chemotherapy through 2 pregnancies and all was fine. I consistently use chemo cloves and gown, but have not ever used a face shield or safety glasses. Both pregnancies were uneventful and both of my girls are fine. Both were honor students ...

If you can learn to cope with your feelings, you have much to offer a patient that is struggling with a difficult diagnosis. You are a cancer survivor as much as your wife is because you have seen her through so much. I have told nurses many times ...

There is rarely going to be an individual answer to the quesiton of managing bone metastasis. A combination of long-acting and short-acting opioids, anti-inflammatory, and steroid is usually necessary. Especially in the case of spinal metastases, the...

Code Brown was a bomb threat at my previous hospital. I really thought it was ludicrous.

The most memorable code that I was part of was when I had been a nurse for 2 years and I was in charge. The patient was "feeling funny" according to his wife and he was walking to the bathroom. He cardiac arrested and dropped to the floor at the do...

I also agre with what SoldierNurse said. The one coment that i would add is that if the chemotherapy and blood will both be running simultaneously, best practice would be for the chemotherapy to be running prior to the blood infusion. If the chemot...

I am not familiar with that computerized documentation program, but I have been involved in initiation of 2 different computerized documentation systems. I do not know who long you have been using your system, but there is not a shortcut to good doc...

I have been an oncology nurse for 28 years. I know that I was called to be an oncology nurse straight out of nursing school. My plan was to go into labor and delivery and then become a midwife. So much for those plans. I have read every post in t...

It is much easier and more reliable to track cumulative dosing levels in the electronic world. There are several electronic documentaiton systems that provide ready access to the number for bedside nurses. I am grateful that I now practice in an elec...

You call out for a shift just because you had a bad day? That is interesting. No one can define a bad day but you. I would encourage you to take the "bad day" as an opportunity to learn about how to deal with stresses. Mentally review the day. wh...

I am really glad i can program my coffee pot to automatically start 5 minutes before I get out of bed. I barely open my eyes before i get my first cup. The hospital does not have good coffee readily available near the nurse's station. I cannot figu...

What gets me is that my family cannot get enough blood and gore at the movie theater, but if I talk about an IV start or a dressing change it is more than they can stand.