Report on oncology nursing career - Essay Example

Oncology Nursing Oncology nursing involves the task of conducting research on cancer, taking care of cancer patients directly and performing administrative functions to treat cancer incidents. Thus, an oncology nurse is responsible for providing care and supervising cancer patients whom are chronically or critically ill (Williamson, 2008). Furthermore, an oncology nurse is expected to monitor the physical condition of the cancer patients, formulate strategies to manage the symptoms and give medical prescription.

Consequently, owing to the critical roles the oncology nurses are expected to conduct to protect and treat chronically ill cancer patients form deaths, they should possess intensive qualifications. Indeed, for an individual to be become an oncology nurse, the individual should undergo a comprehensive training on psychological and physiological needs of cancer patients. This involves understanding the prevention and detection of cancer, diagnosis and treatment, survivorship, end-of- life care and rehabilitation of cancer patients (ONS, 2007).

Thus, the oncology nurses are prepared through the educational system with the knowledge of providing primary, sensitive and painkilling care to cancer patients by applying genomics and genetics knowledge. This is done through educational program that gives the students teachings on advanced pharmacology, physical assessment and pathophysiology (Williamson, 2008). Consequently, upon graduation the oncology graduates gain additional skills, knowledge and abilities during their practice experience which may not be provided during the entry educational competency qualifications.

Owing to this high demands for one to admitted in the oncology nursing profession, the remunerations have been relatively growing over the last couple of years and second after the medical and surgical nursing (Williams & Wilkins, 2011). Indeed, latest empirical findings have shown that the salary increment over the last five years between 2006 and 2011 surpassed the inflation change in the same period. The salaries increased by a rate of 22% between 2006 and 2007 while inflation increased by 11% in the same period (Williams & Wilkins, 2011).

This depicts that the salary of oncology nurses have been fairly increasing since they are able to compensate for the hiking change of money value in the market. Another aspect that is witnessed in the salary reward of the oncology nurses is that they face differential remunerations according to their level of study, specialisation or healthcare organization they serve. Indeed, on average the nurses earn a salary of $60,000 per annum. However, depending on the number of years the nurses has spent in their current position, the rate of reward increases.

This is also, replicated in rewarding the nurses according to their job title. Furthermore, if an oncology nurse is a registered member of a given union, they earn more than those not registered. Similarly, oncology nurses working in recognized Magnet facilities enjoy higher pays than those in Non-Magnet facilities. This is also, witnessed in private hospitals, community hospitals, university hospitals and military hospitals where the salaries differs in an increasing rate respectively. Moreover, an oncology nurse whom has higher level of education enjoys a higher reward compared to other.

This is also, applied by segmenting the rate of rewarding the nur