Oncology nurses care and support patients diagnosed with cancer. These nurses are responsible for administering chemotherapy and managing symptoms related to cancer illnesses. Jill Kain, RN, MNHP, oncology nurse at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, talks about oncology nursing:
Is there special training after nursing college to become an oncology nurse?
You can immediately be hired as an oncology nurse, as I was at the University of Iowa. The University of Iowa provides several hours—many hours, actually—of class for becoming an oncology nurse because you don’t learn a lot about cancer in nursing school. They provide you with the most current information like how to administer chemotherapy, some of the unique side-effects, and other things that go along with chemotherapy.
After a year of being a nurse, you can apply and take an exam to become an oncology-certified nurse through the Oncology Nursing Society. They have several different credentials that you can get:
- Pediatrics
- Advanced oncology certified nurse
- Nurse specialist
- Nurse practitioner
What motivates a nurse to specialize in the treatment of cancer patients?
I think everybody has their own motivator. I think in some cases, it’s because something has happened in their lives—maybe they had a relative diagnosed with cancer and they had a good experience how the nurses and physicians cared for that patient or they had an interest in cancer in nursing school. There’s a lot of different reasons why people choose to care for patients diagnosed with cancer. It’s one of the most rewarding jobs you can imagine having.
What are the roles an oncology nurse can participate in at UI Hospitals and Clinics?
Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center is an NCI-designated cancer center. That means the federal government has designated us as a place where we combine cancer care research and education in a world-class facility. And that means that there are lots of options for nurses:
- There’s research where nurses work side by side with physicians and research scientists to develop new cancer treatments.
- There’s inpatient care, which is what I do, for the acutely ill cancer patients.
- There are outpatient clinics, including the chemotherapy clinic where patients receive chemotherapy on an outpatient basis.
- There’s also the radiation oncology side of it, where nurses work with radiation oncologists to deliver radiation.
Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center at The University of Iowa has a National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation. Does that designation affect the role of an oncology nurse?
I think it definitely does. We take a lot of pride at The University of Iowa in excellent care that’s combined with cutting edge research. I think there’s probably—I don’t know the statistics—but I’m sure that our level of oncology-certified nurses is high and there’s a lot of pride in being current and having an evidence based practice as far as nursing goes.
Are there personal rewards in working with and treating cancer patients?
I definitely think so. It’s amazing to see the cards or the letters we get years later after patients have been diagnosed and are cancer-free; or on the flipside, if, unfortunately, a family member has passed away.
You have to find a way to make it feel rewarding for yourself. Whether it be through cards and letters or providing a hug when nobody else is there for the patient, or sitting up and talking to someone who is lonely. I think there are a lot of different ways you can help patients with cancer, even while they’re dealing with it acutely while in the hospital.
If a student were contemplating oncology nursing as a career, what would you suggest they concentrate on now in their studies to help them achieve their goal?
I would tell someone in high school or college interested in being an oncology nurse and for any nursing, to get your basic sciences. That’s the foundation of any medical profession, whether it be nursing, physician, anything in that realm.
And specifically for oncology it wouldn’t necessarily be what you learn in classes. I’d say get a job in a hospital or somewhere where you’re working with those patients so you know what it would be like. I think that type of education is invaluable, coupled with a good science background. |
