What is an Oncology Nurse?

An oncology nurse is a registered nurse who cares for patients who are fighting cancer. One of the most common things that an oncology nurse does as part of the job is administer chemotherapy treatment. This can be performed in both in-patient and out-patient settings. 

According to the American Cancer Society, in 2017, over 1.6 million people in the U.S. were diagnosed with cancer, which excludes noninvasive and several other cancers. The disease is the second leading cause of death next to heart disease. Although the number of cancer cases has been increasing, more and more people are surviving cancer, which makes the role of an oncology nurse that much more critical as they provide care for those with various forms of cancer. 

If you’re an oncology nurse, you have a large family of fellow oncology nurses in the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS). The ONS is a nonprofit membership organization of more than 35,000 members committed to promoting excellence in oncology nursing and the transformation of cancer care. According to the organization, caring for patients with cancer can be challenging, especially for new oncology nurses or those working outside of cancer care.  To help oncology nurses, the ONS offers a variety of resources and tools that cover a broad range of topics including cancer biology, treatments, symptom management, and patient and family care.

Life of an Oncology Nurse

What does an oncology nurse do? An oncology nurse plays a key role in the lives of those battling cancer and will perform a variety of diagnostic and therapeutic exams. The most common oncology nurse job descriptions will include the following Oncology nurse responsibilities: 

• --Providing direct clinical patient care to patients with cancer
• --Administering medications such as IV chemotherapy
• --Educating patients and families on the effects of chemotherapy and other cancer treatments.

The Oncology setting will have you working with many different healthcare teams and key contacts such as oncologists, therapists and other oncology nurses.

Why Travel as an Oncology Nurse: Oncology Nurse Jobs

Travelnursing.com, your authority to all things travel nursing, has a variety of oncology travel nurse jobs that are available to qualified oncology nurses. As an Oncology travel nurse, you can:

• --Earn an average of 15 percent more than you would in a permanent position
• --Enjoy tax-free travel reimbursement
• --Get access to free continuing education credits
• --Explore the country
• --Expand and enhance your oncology nurse career.

Fill out an application and connect with a recruiter today to find out more about traveling as an oncology nurse. You can also live chat with a recruiter to get more information on a career as an oncology travel nurse. Another option: sign up for our job alerts so you’ll know right away when a promising opportunity pops up.

Read More About Oncology Travel Nursing Salary and Requirements from the link below.