The medical field of oncology is very important to many, if not all Canadians. According to Canadian Cancer Statistics “Almost half of all Canadians (41% of females, and 46% of males) will develop cancer in their lifetime and a quarter of all Canadians are expected to die of the disease.”(Canadian Cancer Society’s Advisory Committee on Cancer Statistics,2013) This makes the advancement of medical care, and the abundance of caregivers in this field very vital in combating this deadly disease. Cancer occurs when cells in the body malfunction and reproduce uncontrollably. It can affect anyone young or old and can be found just about anywhere inside the body and even on the skin. Oncology is defined as the treatment and study of tumors. Cancer …show more content…
Both an RPN and RN working as a general nurse are likely to work with cancer patients in a hospital setting. Although when looking to specialize in oncology is important to obtain the extra education such as; an undergraduate nursing program, or oncology certificate program. Mohawk College offers a specialized certificate program for RN’s or RPN’s looking to increase their opportunities in a nursing oncology setting. (Mohawk College, 2004-2014) Experienced oncology nurses participated in a study featured in a journal of nursing management; stated that “oncology nurses place a special importance that to successfully recruit to oncology, an oncology nurse needs to understand the passion for the specialty. They also strongly recommend developing healthy human resource strategies, it is important for oncology nurses to portray a positive image of cancer care. (Bakker, D, Butler, L, Fitch, M, Green, E, Olson, K, Cummings, G, 2010). These skills are important; nursing oncology is a difficult job, and it’s essential for nurses not to forget that when everyone else is has lost hope they have to maintain a positive outlook. As an oncology nurse it would be important to also obtain strong skills for dealing with bad news, or tough emotions with patients. When working with cancer a lot of patients will be facing their demise, sensitivity and special training to deal with these emotions would be vital. Nurses working in oncology can make anywhere between 56,555 to 87,563 a year.(International Business Machine Cooperation, 2014). This range all depends on nursing experience and education in the field of oncology. Career opportunities in any field of nursing are abundant; “Not only is there a global nursing shortage but there is a proportion of reaching retirement age or nurses disenchanted with their work as nurses and intending to leave the
Working as an oncology nurse has been a life changing experience. I have grown not only as a nurse, but also as a person. My eyes have been opened to the value of life, and not just life itself, but the precious thing that is a healthy life. I cannot count the number of patients from the beginning of my nursing career until now that have told me, “Well, I just didn’t think my symptoms were a big deal” or “The doctor told me I needed additional tests but it didn’t seem important at the time and I didn’t have any money”. The lack of patient education and provider follow-up in situations such as these is disheartening to observe. Experiences I have had with patients combined with their life stories have fueled my desire to become a family nurse
Cancer is the term used to describe a group of diseases consisting of hundreds of ailments and although there exists so many different types of cancer, they all begin in a similar way. The body is made up of over a trillion cells, and cancer is the uncontrolled growth of malfunctioning cells in the body (Dawson, 1996). “Normal body cells grow, divide, and die in an orderly fashion. During the early years of a person’s life, normal cells divide faster to allow the person to grow. After the person becomes an adult, most cells divide only to replace worn-out or dying cells or to repair injuries” (American Cancer Society, 2012).
Mary A. Osborne, a registered nurse said, “Nursing is a rewarding profession that can provide life-long job satisfaction and job security” (Jones 8). A registered nurse (RN) teaches their patients and the public all sorts of different health conditions and practices. They also give tips to the patients’ families and friends on how to support them physically and emotionally (Bureau 1). Registered nurses are employed in many places such as hospitals, schools, offices, homes, military services, and in nursing homes (Minnesota 1). Often in time, RNs don 't work by themselves, they work apart of a team that includes doctors, therapists, of course the patient, and generally their families (Minnesota 1-2). To be successful
There's many pros and cons when being a Oncology Nurse. The cons are of course, that many of your patients will not make it. It's hard to see the people you have worked with and who have fought so hard pass away. There will be very sad moments, so you'll have to be tough. It will especially be sad seeing small children or babies have to go through treatment. However, the pros are that you really get to know your patients and their families and you get to provide care and comfort in what is likely their worst experience they will ever have. You build bonds, see people grow and learn a lot. Most Oncology Nurses in the United States are women. The bottom of the pay range sits near $22.28 per hour. And salary is $68,714 as of March 24, 2016. So
There is a shortage of all health care professions throughout the United States. One shortage in particular that society should be very concerned about is the shortage of Registered Nurses. Registered Nurses make up the single largest healthcare profession in the United States. A registered nurse is a vital healthcare professional that has earned a two or four year degree and has the upper-most responsibility in providing direct patient care and staff management in a hospital or other treatment facilities (Registered Nurse (RN) Degree and Career Overview., 2009). This shortage issue is imperative because RN's affect everyone sometime in their lifetime. Nurses serve groups, families and individuals to foster health and prevent disease.
Cancer. The word by itself can conjure images of severely ill and frail people attached to IV medications and chemotherapy drugs as they cling to life in a hospital bed. Other illustrations and pictures depict unrecognizable, misshaped organs affected by abnormal cells that grow out of control, spread, and invade other parts of the body. Cancer studies show that close to one-half of all men and one-third of all women in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer during their lives. Today, millions of people are living with cancer or have had cancer. As patients are newly diagnosed with their specific type of cancer, whether it be breast, lung, prostate, skin, or blood cancer, etc., each patient has to consider what will happen with their future health care plan and who will be involved in their long journey from treatment to recovery. Once diagnosed, cancer patients become the focal point and the center of all activity in terms of care but cancer not only physically invades the patient’s body and well-being, it goes beyond the patient and significantly affects the emotional stability and support from from their loved ones and caregivers. Based on the insidious nature of cancer and typically late detection of malignant diseases, family members (either spouses, children, parents, other relatives, and friends) often become the patient's main caregiver. These caregivers, also known as informal caregivers, provide the cancer patient with the majority of the support outside of the medical facility or hospital environment and become the primary person to provide various types of assistance. They provide the physical support with bathing and assisting in activities of daily living, they become emotional ...
Isn’t it overwhelming to consider the fact that approximately one in eight deaths in the world are due to cancer? To make this more comprehensible, the number of deaths caused by cancer is greater than caused by AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria combined. Along with the idea that this disease does not have a definite cure is a mind-staggering concept to grasp. If not caught in time, cancer means guaranteed death. These types of thoughts were floating around my head when my mother had told me that my father had mouth cancer.
The pediatric oncology unit has become a heavily studied area for those interested in prevention of compassion fatigue, burnout, and identification of those character traits that offer increased resilience. Nurses are expected to maintain professionalism and appropriate work-life balance but this may become a difficult task on a unit where children have a chronic, intensive, and potentially life-ending condition. Nurses become close to the patient and their family and when death occurs they too may feel a great sense of intense grief and loss. The acknowledgment of this grief and the promotion of adequate self-care habits, work-life divisions, and the ability to recognize when help may be needed are amongst the most important means in prevention of burnout and compassion fatigue. In addition to utilization of positive coping skills by the nurse a responsibility by the organization is also necessary to prevent staff burnout and turnover. The organization is responsible for acknowledgement of a loss on the unit. Presentation of prompt and anonymous counseling services to everyone on the unit following a death and regularly on high-risk units is just one of the many ways an organization can continue to decrease the loss of good nurses to compassion fatigue and
Oncology nurses participate in a collaborative practice with the care team personnel to offer best quality management of cancer patients. The nurses are also regularly involved in promoting the nursing practice in various ways, such as research, systematic education and advanced learning (Rieger and Yarbro, 2003). An oncology nurse caters for both the patients of cancer, as well as people at risk of developing the disease. They monitor the patient’s physical state, give prescriptions and administer chemotherapy. This is one of the most challenging and at the same time rewarding fields in the nursing practice. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of health care promotion in the practice of oncology nursing. The first part will be a discussion on the role of oncology nursing, the history and future direction as well as the rewards and challenges. The second part will examine the role of health promotion in the Canadian healthcare system and the nursing’s role in health promotion. The final part will examine how health promotion can be applied in oncology nursing.
Ever since I was in middle school I dreamed of working in the medical field. I realized nursing was the profession for me when my grandfather became terribly sick with lung cancer during my freshman year of high school. It puzzled me that one of the healthiest and most physically active people I knew could be afflicted by such a damaging disease. After watching my grandfather’s suffering and the pain my entire family felt from his death, I knew I wanted to go into a field to help others that are facing the same challenges. This is when I discovered all of the opportunities that a career in nursing could offer me.
Boyle, D. (2000). Pathos in practice: exploring the affective domain of oncology nursing. Oncology Nursing Forum, 27(6), 915-9. doi: 0190-535X
“Persons intentionally choose to become nurses to help patients meet their health needs,” even when the patient is actively dying. (Wu & Volker, 2012) Hospice nursing and palliative care nursing are both considered end of life care. However, hospice nursing is typically given to patients with a terminal illness and who have less than six months to live. Palliative care is typically given to patients with a life threatening illness, and is used to increase the patient’s quality of life. Choosing a nursing career in either hospice or palliative care can be extremely difficult, but will provide an opportunity for great personal growth. At times, an end-of-life caregiver may feel responsible for their patient’s death, or they may feel isolated due to a lack of support. Nurses new to this field should “feel that their unit acknowledges death as a difficult event and that discussion of death is acceptable in the workplace.” (Lewis, 2013) The most rewarding, and also most difficult, part of being a hospice or palliative care nurse is the ability to be a part of your patient and their family’s life, including their loss, grief, and death. (Wu & Volker, 2012)
Dunniece, U. Slevin, E. (2000). Nurses' Experience of Being Present With a Patient Receiving a Diagnosis of Cancer. Journal of Advanced Nursing 32, pp.611-618.
The nursing profession has changed drastically over time. The roles and responsibilities that nurses take on have increased and become far more complicated. Nurses are managers, leaders, supervisors and have become experts in many areas of care. Every day nurses are faced with the task of improving and strengthening professional leadership within their work environment. Managing good quality and eliminating risk is the major challenge in health care. All members of the team must work together to accomplish outstanding patient care. Budget cuts and nursing shortage in all areas of health care leads to less licensed staff, where use of unlicensed personnel have been used widely, where delegation is not an option, but a necessity. Nurses must be aware of delegation guidelines, what tasks to delegate,when to delegate for the safety of patients, liability of nurses and the facility.
Nurses play a huge role in the health care system. A nurse is a bridge between doctor and patient. s/he is a compassionate, understanding and nonjudgmental yet firm and grounded. S/he is probably one of the most important yet least appreciated person in a patient’s life. When many think of a nurse they probably recognize them by a white hat and uniform. Today those white uniforms have been replaced with vividly colored scrubs worn by both male and female nurses, and many other employees in healthcare. Nurses are not just the people that are limited to bedside care and drug administration; they are highly skilled and well-educated nursing professionals.