Helping Others As An Oncology Nurse
Oncology is the study and treatment of cancer. Hence, an oncology nurse is one who takes care of patients who have cancer.
Cancer treatment was generally treated with surgery in past decades, and the primary function of the nurse was confined to the care of patients who were hospitalized as a result of surgery. Cancer treatment methods definitely evolved over the years and now include radiation therapy and chemotherapy as other common forms of treatment. As a result, the nurse's role in cancer care expanded and evolved as well, and the new treatments have allowed her to make a greater contribution in the treatment processes.
It was during 1970's that these two areas, cancer treatment and oncology nursing, made the most dramatic changes. A comprehensive national cancer treatment program was adopted in 1971. There was a marked improvement in the rates of survival, and the nurse's professional role and her importance in the role of cancer care was acknowledged in this new age of change. Expanded educational programs for oncology nurses were introduced and oncology nursing has since become a specialized area in nursing.
The specialized oncology nurse's role has expanded to include the role of a general caregiver, consultant, educator, researcher and administrator. She became active in all of the areas where patients were affected by or at risk of developing cancer. These areas included health care, education, counseling for cancer prevention, screening and detection. The oncology nurse with advanced nursing skills has mastered all aspects of the nursing process and is able to provide guidance as well as evaluate the needs of patients diagnosed with cancer, including their families and the community at large. The spectrum of oncology nursing responsibilities encompass prevention and care to palliative and rehabilitation care. In particular, she focuses on the areas of biotherapy, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgical oncology, hematology breast oncology, GYN, head and neck oncology, bone marrow transplant, cancer genetic counseling, palliative care, early detection, prevention, and symptom management, for example. Oncology nursing requires clinical expertise and a basic knowledge of cancer in addition to her educational qualifications as a Registered Nurse. She has to engage in active professional development, such as participation in continuing education, clinical application of research findings, quality assessment and improvement. A master's degree is required for the practice of advanced oncology nursing. She can further acquire certifications as an Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN), Advanced Oncology Certified Nurse (AOCN) and a Certified Pediatric Oncology Nurse (CPON). The Oncology Nursing Society conducts a cancer chemotherapy program for professional nurses. The purpose of this program is to promote standard practices in the administration of chemotherapy and provide a confirmation that the nurse has the necessary knowledge required in this area. This program confirmation is valid for two years. The area in which an oncology nurse may practice include in-patient and out-patient departments of community hospitals, cancer centers under the guidelines of the National Cancer Institute, in home health care, public health, community health care and hospices. She may also choose to work in private practice, in physician's offices, as a teacher in nursing schools, or practice at extended care facilities. Additional work locations could be the pharmaceutical industry and the occupational health industry. The average annual salaries of oncology nurses may begin at $35,000. The advanced practice nurses might earn between $60,000 and $125,000.
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