The Journey Ahead

This marks the beginning of my ISM journey. I am excited to embark on the path to finding my future career.

This week I have taken interest in the fundamental procedures of an oncologist nurse. The role of an oncologist nurse concerns patient assessments, patient education, coordination of care, direct patient care, symptom management, and supportive care. Oncologist nurses not only have to care for the patient physically, but emotionally as well. The nurse spends more time with the patient than the doctor, meaning that their role is crucial in the diagnosis and treatment process.

Through research I found that the government does not have a certification process for nurses giving chemotherapy. Given the potency of such drugs, it is interesting that there is no government certification necessary. Although nurses have been trained in this field, the overwhelming statistic of 63% of the respondents reported evidence of medication errors in patient care setting, needs to be addressed.

This week has grown my interest even more for my field of study and helped me dive deeper into research. I find the emotional care discription of nursing fascinating and hope to pursue that topic even more as it is crucial to pediatric oncology.

This upcoming week I hope to gather more information on why such deadly drugs do not require or have government certifications. I also hope to find the causes of dosage mishaps.