Children with cancer receive skilled nursing care from a pediatric oncology nurse. These nurses can work on oncology wards, caring for inpatients undergoing cancer treatment, as well as provide outpatient care at hospitals and clinics. Furthermore, some pediatric oncology nurses offer home care to their patients. Patients may receive care at home because they are unable or unwilling to travel for treatment, and end-of-life care is sometimes provided at home because it is a comfortable and familiar setting.
A pediatric oncology nurse, like other nursing professionals, goes to nursing school to learn how to be a nurse. Following certification, the nurse can pursue additional pediatric oncology training and certifications. Childhood cancers are diverse, and treating a child with cancer may necessitate the collaboration of a large team, including a pediatric oncologist, radiologist, and oncology nurse.
The pediatric oncology nurse is frequently the first point of contact for patients in the hospital. Nurses visit their patients on a regular basis to check on them, administer medications, monitor blood pressure, heart rate, and other vital signs, and respond to their needs. They can help their patients use the restroom, request additional pain medication from their doctor, assist them in eating, and perform other tasks that will make them feel more at ease. Patients and their families can also receive updates on their progress and proposed treatments from pediatric oncology nurses.
Cancer treatment necessitates the use of specialized medications, which necessitates additional training for nurses. For example, a pediatric oncology nurse may be required to assist with the care of a patient receiving radiologically active chemotherapy medications. To avoid contamination, the patient and medications must be handled with care, and the nurse must be aware of any changes in the patient’s condition that could indicate complications or other issues.
A pediatric oncology nurse can take vital signs and other measurements, discuss progress with the patient, and provide information in outpatient clinical care. Home health nurses can come to the patient’s home to administer medications and provide care. If a patient’s needs can’t be met safely and adequately at home, nurses who provide home care may be involved in decisions to transfer them to a hospital.
Working in this field can be stressful, but it can also be extremely rewarding for some nurses. It frequently offers opportunities for continuity of care, in which a nurse follows a patient from beginning to end, as well as the chance to interact with a variety of patients.