[8] According to the Oncology Nursing Standards, the patient or caregivers for the patient should understand the state of the disease and the therapy used at their education level, understand the therapy schedule and when it is being used, be involved in decisions regarding their own care, and state interventions for serious side effects and complications of the disease and intervention. Oncology nurses can work inpatient settings such as hospitals, outpatient settings, in hospice services, or in physician offices. A majority of oncology nurses are involved in direct patient care and practice at a generalist level with about 43% work in a multihospital system, and 24% in ambulatory or outpatient settings. Depending on your level of certification, you’ll administer treatments like chemotherapy or radiation, monitor your patients vitals and symptoms, assist in managing side effects, and work with your patients’ broader care team to create custom treatment plans for their diagnoses. [7], The nurse must also educate the patient on their condition, its side effects, its treatment plan, and how to prevent possible complications. Oncology-focused outpatient care centers typically provide minimally invasive treatments such as chemotherapy and infusions. The area of oncology nursing is extremely diverse so many choose to focus on a particular area. We encourage you to read the Privacy Policy of every website you visit. An oncology nurse is someone that is there through every step of … There are a variety of specialties such as radiation, surgery, pediatric, or gynecologic. As a care provider who regularly interacts with patients on both a clinical and personal level, you’ll be relied on to advocate for your patients’ needs to both their families and broader healthcare team. Within Oncology Physician offices, Oncology Nurses mainly function as patient educators. The program attracts a large number of students from African countries.[6]. This site is intended for U.S. residents only. Become a member of an Oncology Nurse organization to find career opportunities, learn from your colleagues, and support the profession. Because of the nature of these diagnoses, being an Oncology Nurse requires a strong capacity for compassion and an ability to function at a high level in emotionally stressful settings. Oncology nurses work in a multi-disciplinary team, in a variety of settings, from the inpatient ward, to the bone marrow transplant unit, through to the community. For the advanced AOCNP and AOCNS certifications, a nurse must have a master's degree or higher in nursing and a minimum of 500 hours of supervised clinical practice of oncology nursing. This field is one of the most emotionally taxing and rewarding nursing specialty fields that exists. However, graduates of the oncology nursing program of the European Institute of Health Sciences can set for certification exams abroad, particularly in European countries. Your salary and bonus opportunities should reflect this work. If the oncology nursing salary sounds appealing and so does what an oncology nurse does, a person may want to consider earning a certification in oncology nursing. For many people, childhood experiences can influence future career decisions. The reason is obviously the absence of a formal educational program in oncology nursing. This often leads to innovations tailored to each patient, and sometimes leads to entirely new methodologies that are scaled across cancer care facilities. Because of their constant one-on-one time with their patients, Oncology Nurses tend to form strong and lasting relationships with the people under their care, as well as their families. As an Oncology Nurse, you’ll be a crucial member of cancer care teams, providing expertise and support to individuals with a scary diagnosis. The oncology nurse is a liaison between all healthcare professionals involved in a patient’s care. These tasks vary depending on where you work and what you specialize in, and present unique technical and emotional challenges for you and your patients. Oncology refers to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. This education should be done effectively throughout the treatment of the disease, according to the teaching style that best suits the particular patient. As the main professional point of contact for your patients and their families, you’ll advise and teach them about the symptoms they might encounter during treatment, offer techniques for managing symptoms or pain, and communicate their treatment plans in a digestible manner. Your salary may also include overtime or holiday pay—these is common for nurses who have to work late hours, on weekends, and over holidays. My dad was a physician and my mom was an oncology APN and PhD. Not only does this ensure that they have the proper training, but it also gives them a chance to test their capacity in a profession that can be emotionally draining. Having a potentially terminal diagnosis can be extremely isolating for patients, so it’s important for Oncology Nurses to keep this in mind as they approach their daily tasks. I thought I would never go into the field of oncology, but my first clinical in nursing school was on an oncology floor and, after the first day I said, ‘this is what I want to do.’ The patients and families are amazing. Recognizing the innovative nature of the Oncology Nursing field, in 2019 the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) launched a dedicated center for innovation, where cancer care providers can connect and share their experiences or findings, and hopefully develop new solutions to transform cancer care as we know it. As an Oncology Nurse, it’s important to be in tune with the support techniques that work best for each patient. Unfortunately, the number of cancer patients in the US is increasing every year, so Oncology Nurses are always in demand. This certification needs to be renewed after two years. Cancer patients and their loved ones look to Oncology Nurses to answer pressing questions, provide emotional validation, and address symptoms they might be experiencing. [9], Nurses must be able to manage the many side effects associated with cancer and the treatment. He or she might be responsible for cancer screening, assisting doctors in treatment sessions, discussing care options with patients, counseling friends and family members, or providing educational information to the public. When patients are likely being spoken to in a highly clinical manner, it’s crucial for you to provide a space where they can feel comfortable freely voicing their concerns, questions and emotions. Be compassionate, be straightforward, and do your best to be a pillar of confidence amidst an extremely difficult and uncertain time for these individuals and their loved ones. It has been approved by the Ministry of Higher Education as well as the Ministry of Health in 2014. [11], Media related to Oncology nursing at Wikimedia Commons, Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation, "Etat de santé population marocaine 2012", "Licence en Sciences Infirmières - Soins Oncologiques", "Statement on the scope and standards of oncology nursing practice", "ONS/ONCC Chemotherapy Biotherapy Certificate Course", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Oncology_nursing&oldid=989435455, Articles with dead external links from June 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, CPHON: Certified Pediatric Hematology Oncology Nurse, BMTCN: Blood and Marrow Transplant Certified Nurse, AOCNP: Advanced Oncology Certified Nurse Practitioner, AOCNS: Advanced Oncology Certified Clinical Nurse Specialist, This page was last edited on 18 November 2020, at 23:42. Oncology nurses have advanced knowledge of assessing the client’s status and from this assessment will help the multi-disciplinary medical team to develop a treatment plan.