What is it like being an Oncology nurse?

What exactly is a pediatric oncology nurse?

  • I am going to school for nursing but I do not fully understand the different types of nursing titles out there and what my degree should be in. If i just get a general degree in nursing, does that automatically make me a pediatric oncology nurse or is there special requirements to that? HELP!

  • Answer:

    It's rare to be just a pediatric oncology nurse- pediatric oncology is often grouped in with pediatric hematology. So most nurses in this area are pediatric hematology-oncology nurses (peds hem/onc for short.) There are two areas they work in- outpatient and inpatient. Our outpatient peds hem/onc clinic has all RNs (and nurse practitioners, but that's a different job.) Our RNs are all "chemo certified" and have special extra training in hematology/oncology. Our inpatient peds hem/onc unit is part of the general pediatric unit, so those nurses are general pediatric nurses. They are all RNs and the ones who take care of the oncology patients are chemo certified. They take a class each year and pass a test to keep up their chemo certification.

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You should learn about the different types of nursing as you go through your first year. Pediatric oncology nursing is highly specialized and may require more schooling beyond your BSN degree. You should find out more about chemo/oncology nursing in your "nursing pharmacology" class. Talk with your program adviser and tell them you need assistance in clarifying your program requirements.

Tiny

A pediatric oncology nurse is one who deals with cancer in children. This nurse will likely need additional specialized courses in hematology, oncology, genetics, grief counseling, etc. While he or she is a registered nurse, yes, at the end of the day, they will in fact be more valuable to a hospital if they have training in particular areas that others do not have. A "general degree" in nursing could mean one of two things: RN or LPN. Or possibly an APN. A lot of hospitals are phasing out LPNs though, as the world of medicine grows. If it were me, go for the sky. If you're good at biology, microbiology, anatomy & physiology, etc., don't stop at "general nursing." Push yourself. Become Dr. HistoryHater.

JBogy

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