In this photo, two nurses are helping a child that has cancer while she holds her teddy bear and the child and the two nurses appear to be very happy. This photo demonstrates how fulfilling a job as an oncology nurse can be (www.exeterhospital.com/content77.html).


An oncology nurse is defined as a nurse who specializes in treating and caring for people who have cancer (National Cancer Institute, n.d.). Nurses often have more than one patient for whom to take care and treat. With patients fighting for their lives, the nurses need to work diligently to care and advocate equally for each patient. The oncology nurse not only works very closely with the oncology team, but also with the patient, families, and community (Y-Axis Overseas Careers, n.d.).
In this photo, the nurse is helping the patient to walk with the IV. This photo really demonstrates how involved the nurse can become in helping a patient literally get back on their feet after battling cancer (www.rwjuh.edu/medical_services/cancer_units.html)

According to Moore & Woodrow (2004), the nurse is required to do the right thing for every patient equally at all times, which is deontology. However, utilitarianism states that the nurse cares for the patient that is more likely to overcome their illness (Moore & Woodrow, 2004).
The nurse is the one who has the ability to harbor hope in the families of the cancer patients and also in the patients themselves (O’Connor, 1980). In fact, hope is so important that it has been found to create positive health outcomes and it increases the families’ ability to deal with a chronic illness (Davis, 2006).

The National Cancer Institute is very informative and can also help patients and families cope with cancer by learning more about their particular type of cancer.

In this photo, a nurse is holding a child that has undergone chemotherapy in her lap. It shows how loving and caring the nurse is towards the patient and the special relationship between the two people (http://www.seattlechildrens.org/our_services/stories/cancer.asp).


According to Princeton Review (2008), oncology nurses can become hospice nurses and work with people who have terminal illnesses such as cancer. Because the hospice nurse knows the patient is terminally ill, their main duty is to minimize pain and become emotional care-takers as a result of the several hours spent daily with their patients (Princeton Review, 2008). The Hospice Foundation of America is one way to find out more about hospice care and nurses.
Many oncology nurses have specialties in different fields other than solely oncology. According to Smetzer (2007) bringing into the field nurses who have specialties outside oncology is challenging, yet beneficial in the end because it builds a better nurse all around. The Oncology Nursing Society helps to bring nurses together to collaborate and make patient care the best. Diversity is very helpful because the specialty nurses share their knowledge with the oncology nurses and vice versa in order to give patients a maximal level of care (Smetzer, 2007).

In this photo, the nurse is tending to the IV of the man with cancer. This demonstrates the different responsibilities nurses have when caring for patients (http://www.tyac.org.uk/).


Not only do oncology nurses come from different backgrounds, they also come from and continue their work in different healthcare facilities such as hospitals, homes, clinics and even camps such as the one run by the Ronald McDonald House.
Oncology is a field in which the nurses need to be ready to dedicate all their resources to give the patient the best care, complete their daily assignments, and share their knowledge and skill with their fellow nurses (Smetzer, Leslie, 2007).



In this photo, a nurse is working on the child’s IV. This photo shows that the nurse is taking care of the child’s physical health and it shows that the child does not seem to be in any pain as a result of the nurse’s work. It demonstrates one of the many jobs an oncology nurse has (http://www.nursing.umn.edu/AboutUs/VisionMission/home.html).


References

Davis, M. (2006). Futility Considerations for Female Adolescent and Young Adult Patients Following Cancer Therapy: A Guide for Counseling Patients and Their Families. Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, 10(2). Retrieved February 29, 2008.

Moore, T. & Woodrow, P. (2004). High Dependency Nursing Care. London: Routledge.

National Cancer Institute. (n.d.). Dictionary of Cancer Terms. Retrieved January 4, 2008 from
http://www.cancer.gov/Templates/db_alpha.aspx?CdrID=46262.

O’Connor, A.B. (1980). Nursing: The Oncology Patient. New York: American Journal of Nursing Company.

Princeton Review. (2008). Hospice Nurse. Retrieved February 29, 2008 from http://www.princetonreview.com/cte/profiles/dayInLife.asp?careerID=177.

Smetzer, L. (2007). Have You Recruited Nurses Without Oncology Experience? Nurses from Other Specialties Bring Unique Perspectives to Oncology. One Nurse’s Perspective.

Y-Axis Overseas Careers. (n.d.). Oncology Nurse. Retrieved December 1, 2007 from http://www.y-axis.com/Healthcare/Education/Oncologynurse.shtml