How do oncology nurses cope?

[jenvankempen]

Hi everyone

I am working on my Master degree and am collecting data for my thesis and I need your help! I have a short 10-15 minute survey to determine the use and perceived efficacy of coping mechanisms among oncology nurses working with adult patients. Please help me collect accurate data to hopefully implement into my doctorate research!

surveymonkey.com/s/R7J5Z5D

Jennifer

[FamiliesProsper]

I've always believed that with the framework of care vs cure I could be successful. Also, I wanted to be free from undone business with all of the patients that I had been blessed to have an ongoing relationship throughout their continuum of treatment. These applied to the families/friends/significant others! After many years I've developed the opposite part of the spectrum of HEALTH and WELLNESS! Promoting PREVENTION and SUPPORTING CONDITIONS while utilizing the same framework! Contact me for details.

[KNechitilo]

I guess this is way out of date. I enjoyed being an oncology nurse because I was able to use my knowledge and skills to provide good care and I felt blessed to be able to be there for people facing perhaps the most difficult part of their lives. Often patients are older and may have outlived their friends and relatives or it is difficult for visitors to be at the bedside. Telling a patient that he is not at fault because he lost control of his bowels, that this is an expected consequence of his disease or a side effect of his treatment can be as important as offering medications for pain and vomiting.

As far as coping, the nurse must realize that this illness is not happening to him/her or to a loved one but to the patient. We are professionals who of course hope for cure or good symptom control but must be satisfied with the knowledge that we are providing a good standard of care.

[FamiliesProsper]

Oncology Nursing involves CARE OVER CURE in measuring our success! This is a loving field of practice that challenges us to see everyone's potential and the wellness within each individual. After years of practice, I believe IF YOU DON"T PREVENT IT YOU WILL GET IT! I'm an avid proponent of strengthening the immune system from the inside out and lessening the load from the outside in. This means lots of antioxidants and getting rid of toxic chemicals - especially in our homes.

[kathrynnorcutt]

My sister works in oncology, and she is generally quite miserable. She loves her job and she loves the patients, and she copes simply by knowing that she has developed relationships with patients and has helped them enjoy their last days as best she could. Despite all the patients are going through she utilizes her personality to best comfort and share joy with them all. Unfortunately, her misery mostly comes from her co-workers, who have a tendency to be very bitter and difficult to work with despite attempting to create a caring atmosphere. Bitterness spreads, and it appears as though most of her colleagues have difficulty putting on a positive face outside of the one they wear for the patients.

[amygarside]

Thank you for sharing this, I also sometimes wonder how nurses cope in the oncology department.

[monicahersh]

great post very difficult job, takes a special kind of nurse to do this work day in and day out

[pronurse45]

I am not an oncology nurse, so this post is really helpful for me to be more aware about the coping mechanism of nurses in this field. Being a nurse in general is already stressful and challenging, so I think how much more for those who work with patient with certain types of cancer…

[michfr]

Wow, kathrynnorcott, that's really sad! A requirement in becoming an oncology nurse should be a good disposition.