What is Pediatric Oncology Nursing?
A career in pediatric Oncology will open doors of opportunities. We will guide you on how to choose the career path and the qualifications that are necessary for becoming a peds oncology nurse.
The foundational requirement that is necessary for a nursing student who wishes to flow down this path is a broad knowledge of the arts and science of nursing, critical thinking and assertive thinking and problem-solving ability, and high sensitivity for children, adolescents, and their family and their community.
What is Pediatric oncology ?
For all the services you render you will be granted manifold in return in terms of a great sense of respect and a noble opportunity to make a difference in the lives of people who come to you for treatment.
Pediatric oncology and hematology does not suffice just by the specialist having theoretical knowledge alone. Since this is a dynamic field of science and evolving practice, the pediatric cancer nurse should be well versed in handling the practical part of the profession too. The efficient ability to put theoretical knowledge into practice determines the skill they have acquired.
The artful implementation of these skills in children, adolescents, or young adults is the core value that has to be mastered here. When dealing with a child, a pediatric cancer nurse playfully engaging the child and at the same time providing the treatment thereby saving their lives by making use of on spot methods of administration and simultaneously saving the life of the child is what is necessary for this job. Pediatric oncology is not simply a profession of service but rather one that makes an impactful difference in the life of the child and the nurse.
What are the necessary characteristics that a pediatric oncology nurse should possess?
A peds oncology nurse should play all the roles of a caring, sympathetic and understanding adult and at the same time place themselves in the shoes of their patient. A pediatric cancer nurse should be hopeful, competent, humorous, energetic, knowledgeable, competent, respectful, able to understand what a child is going through, a researcher, and empathic team player. Nurses of such kind build optimism in the lives of those children receiving treatment and give them hope to look forward to a new day.
The service of a pediatric oncology nurse is centered around whom?
Peds oncology nurse not only treat the condition of the patient but also provide an all-around service of assisting the families of their patients, providing emotional support, guiding them through the entire happening all the while learning to practically diagnose the patient. In such cases where they come across unknown or complicated etiology, they are required to research it further and then perform the appropriate diagnosis to avoid life-threatening events happening due to misdiagnosis.
Their choice of the workplace is entirely up to them. It can either be a hospital setting, an office of the physician, a redaction center, a care service center, or a physician’s office. Irrespective of her choosing to work, their roles are the same. If working among patients in the hospital setting they should be well equipped with both the practical and theoretical knowledge of accessing a patient’s physical and psychological to cater to them effectively in addition to performing biotherapy, immunosuppressants, chemotherapy, providing patient support care, and administering interventions when the patent is suffering from unbearable pain, helping a child with hair loss, administration of blood or blood products to alleviate anemia.
A step-by-step guide on how to become a Peds oncology nurse:
Once you make up your mind to dedicate yourself to this service, the first thing you should do is enroll yourself and become a registered nurse(RN). RN is achieved when the individual acquires either an associate nursing degree or a bachelor’s degree in nursing. It is mandatory to complete either of the two courses to understand the foundational aspects of the profession. A bachelor’s degree in nursing is advisable as it offers supplemental schooling in leadership and research which will come in handy when you enter the profession.
1. Get your bachelor’s degree in nursing (BSN). Train yourself in the respective field by working and observing alongside experienced nurses to help you get an idea of how to do your job
2. Working as an intern is highly recommended and if you cannot apply for the same during your period of the course, apply for summer school.
3. An internship certificate along with completing your bachelor’s degree will help you get the recognition you need
4. Being new to the field, you should start by working in the general pediatric oncology and hematology unit at first to get a firsthand experience of what it is to work with patients of the sort and then move on to the pediatric oncology hematology unit.
5. You will be required to manage and apply critical thinking initially with the outpatient unit so that the sufficient experience gained will help you work with the in-patient unit as an independent managing nurse.
6. The Novant Health Blume Pediatric Hematology & Oncology Center (NHBLUME) site will help you look for openings for the position in your locale.
7. The best option to consider when going for a nursing organization is NHBLUME as
- They offer education for nurses in various fields such as oncology, pediatric chemotherapy, And PBMT courses.
- The families of the patients are also given educational materials on what type of condition their loved one is suffering from.
- Evidence-based practice
- A newsletter from this organization helps gain a great deal of recognition
- Get yourself enrolled in the foundations and PBMT local chapter membership that offer more education facilities and materials along with an opportunity to work.
8. After you have completed at least 12 months as a pediatric oncology nurse you will be provided the CPHON (Certification Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Nursing) through the Oncology Nursing Certification (ONCC).
9. You can work as a pediatric oncology nurse as an APN (Advanced Practice Nurse) wherein there are two types. One is Pediatric Nurse Practitioner(PNP) and the other is Family Nurse Practitioner(FNP) and also a Pediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist (Pedi CNS). Apart from acquiring a master’s in nursing, they require further education also. The pediatric cancer nurse apart from aiding the doctors also assists in collaborating with them to perform bone marrow aspirations and lumbar puncture procedures, thus giving them a prospective authority. Based on the training the nurse has received they will be able to take on the roles of clinical practice expert, researcher, educator, and leader within the health care institution or program.
