things to know for nursing internship in oncology??

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Hi everyone,

This is my first post! I've been reading the forums for awhile but finally signed up.

I'm starting a nursing internship in oncology in a week (!!!) and am trying to review some things that would be helpful. I've only had a VERY brief covering of oncology in lecture and we don't cover it in clinicals. I'm looking for meds and lab tests that I should be familiar with and I'm pretty overwhelmed by the volume of cancer drugs out there!! Can you give me a list of some of the most commonly used meds with these patients? Also, I'd love to have a list of labs to be familiar with. Thanks SO much!!! Any tips would be greatly appreciated......:)

- nurse2Bdec08

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Specializes in Psychiatry.

:wlcmggrp:

I just started as a nurse extern in oncology (outpatient) this past January.

Here are a couple of resources that may be helpful for you:

http://www.insidecancer.org/

http://www.ons.org

ONS (Oncology Nursing Society) has a wealth of information on their website. A truly awesome organization.

Best to you in your new career!!

Diane

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One of the first things you should do is get chemo 'certified' by taking the ONS 2 day chemo certification course. You can find local course offerings on the ONS website. If you have not joined ONS, you should --- they are an invaluable resource for CE credits, and pointers on administering chemotherapy and caring for cancer patients and their families. After several months, you'll be amazed at how much you've absorbed --- it all seems so foreign to you now, but you'll catch on quickly!

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