Rozina Aziz Careers in nursing are highly sought after by those interested in helping others by working in the medical area and providing Lifecare to patients and their loved ones. Because of their skills, pediatric oncology nurses can significantly impact even the most challenging treatment environments for children with cancer.
The work of a pediatric oncology nurse can provide insight into the field if you’re considering going into nursing as a specialty.
This article provides an overview of pediatric oncology nurses, including their role in the healthcare system, the skills they need to succeed on the job, and the educational background and experience needed to enter the field.
What is a Pediatric Oncology Nurse?
Children with cancer are cared for by pediatric oncology nurses, who usually work in the hematology and oncology units of hospitals. Some of them work only in freestanding centers or hospices.
Nurses who work in pediatric oncology have completed specialized training that prepares them to provide radiation therapy and chemotherapy to young patients with cancer. And they train for the special emotional difficulties that arise when a youngster needs life-saving care.
Skills as a Pediatric Oncology Nurse
Nursing professionals working in pediatric oncology regularly rely on the following sets of abilities:
Interpersonal Skills
Nurses working in pediatric oncology see various patients and families daily. They can connect with patients, doctors, and their loved ones thanks to their interpersonal abilities. Interpersonal competence is recognizing, empowering, and putting others at ease in a professional setting.
Leadership, patience, empathy under pressure, and a sense of ownership over one’s work are a few examples of interpersonal skills necessary for pediatric oncology nurses.
Ability to observe
The observation to observe and interpretation skills help pediatric oncology nurses make more informed decisions. Nurses must rely more on their observational skills when caring for children because young patients may be unable to express their physical or emotional observation through skills.
Nurses specializing in pediatric oncology pay close attention to detail and apply critical thinking skills to investigate the causes of patients’ physical, mental, and behavioral changes. Their unwavering dedication guarantees the security of therapeutic procedures that rely on sophisticated machinery.
Best practices for preventing the spread of infection
Immunocompromised patient care requires special protective precautions, and nurses need to know the requirements, standards, and guidelines associated with these procedures.
Practiced familiarity with pediatric cancer protocols
Your patients’ loved ones will look to you for clarity on any aspects of care they are unsure of.
Helping Hands Capability
As a pediatric oncology nurse, you’ll get to know your patients and their families very well. You’ll be relied on frequently to offer psychological and emotional support; to avoid burnout, you’ll need to learn to do so within healthy limits.
Good Communication
Nurses specializing in pediatric oncology have adept skills and regularly contact coworkers, patients, and families. They assist kids, and their families make sense of complicated medical information and cope with illnesses and treatments.
For nurses to be effective communicators, they must be able to tune in to the concerns of patients and their caregivers and positively relay information while remaining truthful. Strong writing and communication skills are crucial for medical note-taking and patient charts.
Emotional intelligence
Emotional intelligence helps pediatric oncology nurses deal with their skills and those of their patients and their families. Intense emotional challenges might arise when working with youngsters fighting for their lives.
Nurses who specialize in pediatric oncology devote a great deal of work to ensuring that their patients have the best possible prognosis, yet, there are still cases in which the disease ultimately proves fatal. Emotionally intelligent pediatric oncology nurses are able to grieve with their patients’ families while while caring for the next patient.
When interacting with their young patients, pediatric oncology nurses monitor the children’s emotional states and do all they can to boost their spirits, ease their fears, and make them more at ease. Pediatric oncology nurses’ ability to empathize with their patients’ families enables them to convey sad news while also considering the family’s feelings.
Creativity
When caring for young patients, the ability to think creatively is a valuable talent that can make a world of difference. For instance, pediatric oncology nurses can employ creativity to engage young patients while completing necessary procedures.Hospitals frequently offer painting supplies or art therapy to youngsters as a distraction.
To better connect with their young patients, pediatric oncology nurses may ask them about their latest art endeavors.A youngster may experience distress or upset due to a particular treatment. Creativity skill allows pediatric oncology nurses to come up with unique skills to ease their patients’ minds throughout treatment.
What Does a Pediatric Oncology Nurse Do?
A pediatric oncology nurse provides treatment and support to kids younger than 18. Therefore, it is not enough to be skilled in the clinical aspects of nursing; you must also be familiar with normal child development to connect with your patients appropriately.
Care for children with sickle cell anemia and other pediatric blood diseases may fall under your purview, as abnormalities in routine bloodwork are sometimes the earliest symptoms of a cancer diagnosis. Patients of advanced age enduring recurrences of childhood cancers or blood disorders may also require your care on rare occasions.
Monitoring vital signs
Vital indicators include things like body temperature, heart rate, breathing rate, and blood pressure. It may be necessary to check on a cancer patient more frequently than once every four hours if they are undergoing a very intensive course of treatment.
Performing a physical examination
The pediatric oncology nurse can use the results of a physical evaluation to identify any preexisting conditions or emerging health concerns that should address throughout care. Keeping note of symptoms might help nurses better manage their patients’ complaints and reduce unwanted side effects.
Recording and Observations
Recording with doctors who can do something about them is pointless. As a nurse, you will document your observations in written form and report them to other nurses and doctors as needed.
Insertion of Peripheral intravenous line
Medications, fluids, and nutrition are usually administered through central venous catheters (CVC) in pediatric oncologic care. Pediatric oncologists may initiate peripheral intravenous lines (PIVs) if CVCs are not available.
Helping out with diagnostic procedures
You may be asked for various types of diagnostic tests, including biopsies (tissue samples), lab tests, spinal taps, brain scans, and other medical procedures.
To give additional medications: The pediatric oncology nurse may also be responsible for doling out drugs, including steroids, antibiotics, immunosuppressants, and chemoprotective medicines.
Palliative care administration
Cancer and its treatment can cause a wide range of uncomfortable side effects, and palliative oncology aims to alleviate as many of them as possible. As a palliative care worker, you may be asked to do anything from giving out anti-nausea pills to coming up with clever ways to hide bald spots.
Talking to and teaching your loved ones
Treatment of a child with cancer requires continuity of care. You will likely care for the same patient during their entire hospital stay and any following stays that may be necessary. In caring for a patient, you will grow close to their loved ones, who will rely on you as a trusted source of information and explanation.
Interprofessional Conference Attendance
Oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, pharmacists, clinical nurse specialists, medical social workers, and auxiliary health professionals (like physical therapy and respiratory therapy) are all members of the healthcare teams that you, as a Pediatric Oncology Nurse, will be part of.
Why Choose Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nursing?
The field of pediatric hematology/oncology nursing is one rich with potential. It’s a job that calls for a wide range of expertise (the art and science of nursing), solid critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills, and an abundance of empathy and compassion for young people of all ages and families and communities.
You will be rewarded with a high level of esteem and gratitude from those you help, as well as the satisfaction that comes from knowing that you have positively impacted the world.
Knowledge in pediatric hematology/oncology nursing comes from three sources: theory, research, and practice making it a living, breathing field. The pediatric nurse’s expertise is not limited to the facts she learns but also how she may creatively apply those facts to the care of a child, adolescent, or young adult (AYA).
Pediatric hematology/oncology nurses make a difference in their patient’s lives, from encouraging children to take their medication through play to performing life-saving critical thinking.
Traits of a Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurse
- Energy creative
- Knowledgeable
- Competent
- Kind
- Hopeful
- Humorous
- Challenging
- Respectful
- Understanding
- Empathetic
- Teacher
- Researcher
- Inquirer
- Team player
- Collaborator
- Family-centered
- Compassion
- Emotional sensitivity
- Discretion
- Conscientiousness
- Adaptability
- Emotional resilience
- Executive functioning
What does a Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurse care for?
The pediatric hematology/oncology nurse provides direct care, oversees the care of other medical professionals, and educates patients and their families about their condition and treatment options. Whether congenital or acquired, the genesis of these conditions and diagnoses is often a mystery, and they can have serious consequences for patients’ health and well-being.
They can assess a patient’s physical and mental health, administer chemotherapy, biotherapy, and immunosuppressants, and teach and provide emotional support to patients undergoing cancer treatment by performing interventions like giving them anti-nausea and -vomiting drugs.
They can work in a hospital (inpatient and outpatient skills), a doctor’s office, a home health care agency, a radiation center, a hospice, or a palliative care service.
FAQ’s
What qualifications do I need to become a pediatric oncology nurse?
To become a pediatric oncology nurse, you must have an RN license and at least two years of experience in the field. You should also have specialized training in pediatric oncology, such as a certification from the Oncology Nursing Society or an advanced degree in nursing with a focus on pediatric oncology.
What type of environment does a pediatric oncology nurse work in?
Pediatric oncology nurses can work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, doctor’s offices, home health care agencies, radiation centers, hospices, and palliative care services.
What is the job outlook for pediatric oncology nurses?
The job outlook for pediatric oncology nurses is positive, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicting a 7% growth in employment for registered nurses between 2019 and 2029.
What type of support do pediatric oncology nurses provide?
Pediatric oncology nurses provide physical, emotional, and educational support to patients and their families. They assess the patient’s physical and mental health, administer chemotherapy and other treatments, teach patients about their condition and treatment options, and provide emotional support during difficult times.
