Oncology Nursing Career

Growing up I did not dream about becoming a nurse. I graduated from high school with honors and was planning to go to law school. However, several months later, my life drastically changed. Unexpectedly, my beloved mother was diagnosed with stage II ovarian cancer. Spending countless days and nights by her side at the hospital made me recognize how significant and life-saving her care was. Nurses were highly skilled professionals who worked together to provide essential care for my mother, give immense support and encouragement, ensure that her treatment would be delivered timely, promptly assess and address her physical and emotional needs and manage her distressing symptoms.

Many people ask me what are my plans after high school? Luckily, I have come to the decision to be in the military and attend a postsecondary education and major in Nursing with the intention of becoming a Pediatrician or becoming an Architect.

Nursing is an emotionally, physically, and demanding profession. It truly takes a distinct individual to become a nurse, although, anyone could complete the course work and sit for the NCLEX exam to pass the licensure to become a nurse, with that being said, not everyone that completes the requirements to become a nurse will exhibit the quality nurses should. Nurses require empathy, compassion, knowledge of expertise, time management skills, superb communication and writing technique, and calmness amongst an emergency situation are beneficial attributes to possess. Sarah Cook, RN, BSN, OCN has been a nurse for over seven years, working inpatient oncology for four years and the last one and half years in oncology administration facilitating the building of Parkview Regional Medical Center’s Cancer Institute. Sarah attended college at Ivy Tech Community College where she attained her Associate in Science Nursing degree, continuing her education at Indiana Wesleyan obtaining her Bachelors of Science in Nursing and currently pursuing her Masters of Science in Nursing and Masters of Business Administration.

After high school, I plan to attend college for four years, and find a part time job during my time in college. While I attend college, I also plan to continue trying my best to have good grades and a good rank. After college, I plan to find a long term job, and or return back to school to obtain a PhD.

Specialty Nurses throughout the world have various roles and positions. Depending on the country, and within specialties, scope of practice may vary. For instance, nurses in the emergency room or trauma may have more autonomy than on a more structured medical surgical unit. One country may allow nurses to have full autonomy and write orders, while others strictly follow provider orders. Nursing regulations vary greatly from country to country and even within specialty to specialty.

Sneaking up on me, the end of my senior year is starting appearing, the most frequent question I get asked is,” What are you going to do after high school?” That question for me isn't a hard one--in fact, it is rather easy. At the age of 10, I knew I wanted to become some type of teacher, or someone in the medical field, I didn't know what exactly. At the age of 15 I was in an accident that helped me realize what I wanted to become.

An ONCC has many jobs, responsibilities, and duties to uphold and respect to be able to operate efficiently, much like other healthcare professions. Considering this career choice, I learned that I must be a Registered Nurse (RN) that is currently in practice and liscensed by the state I'm working in, a four-year Bachelor's of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree, and, depending on my location, a particular amount of contact hours within a cancer care facility to obtain skills in the care of cancer patients. Along with the required skills and certification that an OCN needs, there are optional certificates that a nurse can acquire. Certified Pediatric Hematology Oncology Nurse (CPHON), Advanced Oncology Certified Clinical Nurse Specialist (AOCNS), Certified Breast Care Nurse (CBCN), and Advanced Oncology Certified Nurse Practitioner (AOCNP) are a few of those optional certifications. An OCN has many jobs and responsibilities that she/he must be prepared to take and complete to the best of his/her abilities.

My motivation to get a BSN starts with my goal to become an Oncology Nurse. “Oncology is one of the most challenging and rewarding fields in nursing and no two days on the job are ever the same” (2017). Per this same website, an oncology nurse needs to be a BSN or higher to get accreditation. Being accredited as an oncology nurse means that I am a nurse that is specialized in taking care of cancer patients. Cancer and the patients who have this disease are one of the reasons why I want to continue my education. I have had a couple friends and family who had cancer and have lost the battle and my grandmother, amazingly, survived it. Cancer has taken too many lives from too many families.

A lot of time as an Advance Practice Registered Nurse would be devoted to education and health promotion through counseling sessions on important topics, regular check-ups, and routine screenings. I have a particular interest in cancer prevention and screenings because personally, I have seen many family members get diagnosed at late stages. This is something I want to help prevent for other families by appropriately educating and screening. Having interactions with nurse practitioners on my unit and seeing how much knowledge they have, not only of the health concern but also of the patients themselves has left an impression on me. To truly treat patients holistically in every aspect is what I aspire to

The world after high school is the real world. Something I can only imagine, but I’ve done my best to plan out the future. The opportunity to do anything I want is a great one, so I planned out the outline of a future I plan on make my reality. I have no idea what lies ahead, but I plan on succeeding. After graduating from high school I plan to return to my high school to be Certified Medical Assistant (CMA certification).

Experiencing the hardships of cancer in my family and in my community has made my duty to society very personal. I want to continue in this field not only because of my interest, but to help my community as much

I am a RN-BSN graduate from Anna-Maria College. In April 2015, I was inducted into the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International and Iota Phi Chapter. I have been an Oncology RN for the last eight years and enjoyed it because of the opportunity to work as a staff member, relief Charge Nurse, participate in the Epic and Retention and Recruitment committees. I actively care for our patients who need hematologic and chemotherapy treatments. At UCI Medical Center, I had the privilege to work with an organization that is Magnet certified and reflects the importance of excellent customer service to the population it serves. Previously, I had the opportunity to work as a Travel nurse and explored different work environment throughout

My educational background has given me a solid understanding of the medical field, whereas my variety of experience has allowed me to adapt to any nursing environment. I graduated nursing school in 2016 with the hopes of becoming a Hospice nurse. However, I realized I needed to develop my nursing

Notwithstanding one must first become a registered nurse. RN training usually is offered through an associate's or bachelor's degree program in nursing. There are Associate's degree programs in nursing that can be found at 2-year community colleges as well as through some private schools. Nevertheless, programs leading to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing are generally offered through public and private 4-year colleges and universities.

My calling to nursing started when my father got diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2015. I watched him suffering through radiation and chemotherapy, but what got him through those hard times was the help of some great loving and caring nurses. As I became more involved in taking care of him, my passion for nursing had greatly increased. Now, for nine years, I have maintained a commitment to caring for others in the field of Nursing. Being a registered nurse (RN), I have taken care of one patient at a time, which I have been involved in the amelioration of lives, and have only been left wanting to give and do more. Pursuing a master of science in nursing (MSN) is more than just a logical or natural progression for my career. It is a life choice, one that is backed by highly refined clinical judgments and in-depth exposure to an array of set-ups, and levels of care. In this personal statement, I will deeper highlight an explanation of my career goals, the reasons for my choice of Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) specialization, and lastly the reason for pursuing an advanced degree in nursing.