We recently posted the headline above on TheONC Facebook page and asked you to fill in the blank. The answers varied from funny to poignant. Take a look:
Ayme G.: "R-CHOP, TAC, RICE and FULFURINOX make perfect sense to you!"
Denise S.: "You understand the time left for a patient based on his/her diagnosis and staging yet can’t show it and need to stay positive for the patient."
Karen C.: "You have a rough night at work but you still love your job!"
Devon P.: "You consider a 12-hour Chemo Fest a rocking party!"
Oncology nurses are a rare breed. They deal with the worst time in a person’s life every day. They are givers of great hope and terrible news. They hold the secrets of strangers, sharing in the most intimate life events a patient may ever face. They face life and death every day with professionalism and compassion.
In an article on Cancer.net, Gay Bailey, RN, MBA, OCN, and Virginia R. Martin, RN, MSN, AOCN, discuss the role of the oncology nurse. I wanted to point out was how they defined what an oncology nurse does:
Oncology nurses care for individuals with cancer, those at risk for cancer, and those surviving cancer. Oncology nurses carry out their role by providing direct care, including chemotherapy administration. They educate patients about all aspects of their disease, including the side effects of treatment, and they coordinate care and provide psychosocial (emotional and social) support along the continuum. Oncology nurses can be found in the inpatient, outpatient, home care, or hospice settings; they also work in case management and as patient navigators and patient advocates. In addition, oncology nurses provide clinical trials support and telephone triage.
That’s all?
If you are wondering today if you make a difference -- if what you do day in and day out is worth it -- know that you are, and it is. Now, tell me: How do you know you’re an oncology nurse?
Community editor Stephanie Wiseman shares new research that puts the loss of worker productivity linked to cancer and its treatment in the billons of dollars and asks, can supportive care programs help lessen the financial impact of cancer?
The 2013 Nurse Compensation Survey Results Are In Michelle Bragazzi, BS, RN, 5/3/2013 32 In February, TheONC surveyed more than 600 oncology nurses to find out more about their careers. We wanted to know if they felt adequately compensated and satisfied within their ...
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Nurses, this community is for you. We're also happy to hear from other professionals who work with oncology nurses, like physicians, psychiatrists, hospice providers, or social workers. If you are a professional in oncology and work with nurses regularly, come on in.
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