Cancer is six letters that can shatter a life in seconds. In my case it shattered six lives: a father, a mother, a daughter, and three sons. The physician who delivered the diagnosis was excellent but blunt, and those of us old enough to understand were left in shock. I was 11. All I could think was, will my dad die? Will he ever walk me down the aisle or hold my first baby?
The years of chemo and radiation that followed were the hardest I have ever watched my parents endure. I saw the strongest person in my life turn weak. I watched his personality change. Chemo saves lives, and it also does lasting damage, physically and sometimes emotionally and mentally.
Those years were also the first time I saw real empathy and compassion, and it came from a nurse.
A nurse administered my dad's first chemo treatment and explained the side effects, again and again, until they made sense. A nurse answered every one of our thousand questions without losing patience. A nurse kept a bucket and a cold washcloth ready for the nausea and had tips for the weight loss. A nurse helped my mom be my dad's rock. A nurse told us that no, we were not crazy, that really was a side effect. A nurse said it was okay to cry, then shed a tear herself behind a closed door. And a nurse celebrated with us the day he was declared cancer free.
A nurse's compassion is the reason I became a nurse. My dad walked me down the aisle, and my son now calls him Papa.
Thank you, oncology nurses, for the impact you have on patients and on the families standing behind them. Your compassion and strength matter as much as your skill.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does an oncology nurse do? Oncology nurses care for patients with cancer across the whole trajectory: prevention and screening, diagnosis, active treatment, survivorship, and end of life. They administer and monitor chemotherapy and other therapies, manage side effects like nausea and fatigue, teach patients and families what to expect, and coordinate care with the rest of the team.
How do you become an oncology nurse? Start with an active registered nurse (RN) license, which means an associate or bachelor's degree in nursing plus passing the NCLEX-RN. After clinical experience, nurses often earn the Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN) credential. The Oncology Nursing Society, founded in 1975 with more than 35,000 members, provides the specialty education and chemotherapy and immunotherapy certificate courses many employers expect.
How much do oncology nurses make? Oncology nurses are registered nurses, and the median RN wage was $93,600 in May 2024 per the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Certification and experience can push earnings higher, and RN employment is projected to grow 5% from 2024 to 2034.
Is oncology nursing emotionally difficult? It can be. Oncology nurses build long relationships with patients and walk alongside them through treatment that does not always work, so grief and compassion fatigue are real. Many also describe it as deeply meaningful, because they see patients ring the bell at the end of treatment and become part of families during the hardest year of their lives.
Do you need special certification to give chemotherapy? Most employers require nurses to complete a chemotherapy and immunotherapy administration course before they handle these drugs. The Oncology Nursing Society offers the widely used provider course, and hospitals layer their own competency checkoffs on top of it.