What is cancer nursing or
oncology nursing?
Cancer nursing, or oncology nursing is an area of nursing where you will care for patients with cancer. Oncology nursing includes care of the illness itself, the symptoms of the illness, the side effects of the treatment, and the pyschosocial care of the patient and their family.
Cancer nursing or oncology nursing is another special type of nurse. It takes a very special type of nurse to work with cancer patients.
Oncology nursing requires a very caring and compassionate person.
As an oncology nurse you can work as an inpatient nurse in a hospital, or in an outpatient setting in a clinic, or an infusion center.
Inpatient oncology nurses work in the hematology-oncology unit caring for cancer patients and
administering chemotherapy during treatment phases. Cancer patients may also have frequent
admissions for infections or other illnesses requiring IV antibiotics and specialized treatments.
Cancer patients will usually be admitted to the hematology-oncology floor when admitted for any
type of illness.
Oncology nurses require special training to be able to administer chemotherpay agents to their
patients. A nursing certification is available for oncology nurses.
Outpatient oncology nurses can work in a clinic or an infusion center. The same caring and
compassionate nature is needed in these settings.
No matter what setting you work in for cancer nursing it is important to remember that you will be caring for the patient with cancer and the family. Cancer patients can be infants, children, or adults, but it will always be an emotional time for the family, no matter the age of the patient.
Working with cancer patients can be a very emotional job for a nurse. Not everyone is able to deal
with the emotions involved in caring for these patients and possibly watching someone you have
provided nursing care for to die.
Oncology nurses deal with death and dying on a frequent basis. This can be hard on anyone and can
lead to a great deal of stress. It is important for nurses, including oncology nurses, to have a way to
decrease stress levels. Stress management techniques are very individual and you will need to find what works best for you.
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