Things You Need to Know About Oncology Nurse
Dec 4, 2014 | 12:00 pm
If you want a unique challenge then turn your focus towards oncology, the profession involved with cancer diagnosis and treatment. This is a job that pays well and always in demand.
Some sources such as All Nursing Schools states that nurses can expect to make $65,470 a year on average and the field is expected to increase over the next decade. The primary reason being that baby boomers are aging and the over-55 category are the most commonly diagnosed cancer patients. This makes the demand for skilled and dedicated oncology nurses to make a difference in a profession that really matters.
What Your Job Requires
An oncology nurse specifically works with cancer patients as well as those who are at risk of getting the disease. Although they work with oncologists, their primary duties are advocating for the patient. This means monitoring their conditions and teaching them how to manage symptoms. In addition, their job duties often consist of maintaining records, prescribing drugs, administering chemo, and performing other field-related tasks.
Because of the specialty field, oncology nurses will be expected to lead at various times, and this means the ability to create management strategies, offer counseling to patients, and conduct important research.
About the Oncology Profession
Georgia Decker, APN was interviewed at the Medscape Conference and had some interesting things to say about the profession. She stated that the primary goals of the nurse, including in the field of oncology are in “advocating for patients, helping them navigate the healthcare system, and securing for them the treatments they need.”
She goes onto to relate that clinical advocacy does require reaching out across multiple arenas, perhaps even public policy making. She states that oncology nurses should bring their concerns up to elected officials, in order to “contribute to informed policymaking…in the 21st Century.”
Clinical nurse manager Pamela Kenz, RN, BSN, CNOR, stated to The Working Nurse publication that oncology nursing is “exciting, innovative and different kind of nursing.” She states that her facility hires plenty of nurses who “want to help” and who “want to be involved in the changes coming to healthcare.”
For newer students, she recommends shadowing another nurse to see firsthand what goes on in this unique avenue of healthcare. “It’s very technologically-based, yet patient-focused,” she told her interviewer, going on to relate about the facility’s use of four DaVinci robots that assist with surgery.
Colleen Lewis, NP told Cancer.net that an oncology nurse has the responsibility of being a “patient advocate, educator, and source of patient and family support.” She stated, they are not merely moral support, but also educators and researchers, every bit as important to the team effort as doctors.
The Future of Medicine and You
Oncology is on the cutting edge of science and medicine and is a rewarding career choice for nurses who want greater challenges. If you are interested in reaching your full potential, look into specialty fields such as this. It will be an excellent career advancement opportunity.