Oncology Nurse: Job Description, Duties and Requirements

A.  Complete all of your documents using the Web Folio Builder (in Taskstream) that you used to create your portfolio in the Professional Roles and Values course. 1. Professional mission statement 

My professional mission statement is to become an excellent, skilled and highly-equipped oncology nurse within the next five years. The reason for choosing oncology nursing is that I have encountered very many cancer patients suffering in the hands of incompetent nurses who do not know how to help these patients. Family members of cancer patients also lack the stamina of assisting their kin, who could be going through a lot of pain. To achieve this career goal, I am going to enrol for evening classes in Oncology Certified Nursing Care so that I am equipped with the relevant skills and knowledge that will help me in this field. I aspire to bring a paradigm shift in how nurses support cancer patients in their recovery process or in the management of this medical condition that has been afflicting many cancer patients with little help from the nurses. By focussing my time and energy on cancer patients, I know I will be helping many patients overcome the challenge that is associated with this medical condition. I will ensure to convince my bosses to allow me to seek further knowledge in this field so that I can help as many patients as much as possible in the coming days. My career goal is to continually seek medical knowledge that encompasses new interventions and inventions in the treatment of various medical conditions that afflict human beings. My focus will be on lifestyle medical conditions, which are non-communicable but can be prevented through healthy lifestyles. It is believed that cancer has its genesis on the lifestyle that people lead, and there is a need to help them overcome it through various strategies. The statement will enhance focus on my objective by making it possible not to lose track of helping cancer patients in the coming days.

2.  Complete a professional summary that includes the following: 

a. Explain how the specific artifacts or completed work or both in your portfolio represent you as a learner and healthcare professional. 

My artifacts show that I am capable of researching any given field and come up with findings that can help solve the given problem. My portfolio on quality and safety has proved that I can look for information if there is a need to do so. It, therefore, means that as a learner, I am in a position of transferring that which I have been taught into practice and ensuring that it yields the desired results. The leadership class made me realize my potential as someone who can adjust to various situations and provide much-needed guidance among my peers. The reason is that I was in a position of representing my classmates in multiple expositions, and I was voted the best presenter in all situations.

b. Discuss how the specific artifacts in your portfolio represent your professional strengths. 

The artifacts illustrate that it is possible for me to identify gaps in my line of operation and working towards solving existing problems. The quality and safety class made it possible to identify safety measures that a health need to be put in place in a healthcare setting that can eventually lead to safety in the entire medical facility. I was able to identify such safety measures while on my internship, which made it possible for me to help the management fix those gaps.

c. Discuss the challenges you encountered during the progression of your program. 

One of the challenges was commuting. I found it very expensive to commute from my abode to attend to the various destinations where I was supposed to help multiple people. The monthly stipend that I was being given was not enough to see throughout the month. I overcame this challenge by putting up in a relative’s house until I was in a position of supplementing the monthly stipend by offering private tuition to some nursing students in the neighbourhood where I was staying. Another obstacle that I faced was the adverse effects of weather in the area where my relative accommodated me. The city was dry and hot. It made my skin to crack, which was painful. However, I overcame this problem when I got a body lotion that made my body remain moisturized throughout the day, even in hot and dry weather.

d.  Explain how your coursework helped you meet  each  of the nine nursing program outcomes. 

  1. Effective Communication 

My coursework has made it possible for me to develop confidence while communicating with others. The many opportunities that I was being offered to present before the class or guide my fellow students made me build my personality, which made it possible for me to develop communication skills. I am, therefore, in a position of addressing a crowd of people without any fear. I am also in a position of reading the mood of people and coming up with better communication strategies that can make me address them without any problems. More so, I can address my managers and patients confidently about any given issue. I no longer fear to talk before my supervisor. I do not also shout at patients the way I used to do some time back. Nowadays, I talk to patients in a professional tone that creates a good rapport with them. 

2. Clinical Reasoning . 

The program has made it possible for me to appraise new medical information that comes my way. With the various advances that have taken place in different spheres of life, I am in a position of determining innovations that are likely to help patients and those that are not yet approved. I can search for information relating to my care on the internet and share it with my colleagues, who could be located far away from me. With this sharing and the experiences that I may have gone through, it is always possible for me to come up with the best clinical reasoning that can help my patients in the most desired manner. I have, therefore, made it a habit for me to continuously refresh my clinical knowledge so that my clinical reasoning makes sense to concerned parties.

3. Professional Accountability 

I realized the significance of professional accountability as it plays a vital role in making nurses keen on what they are doing. I confirmed that mistakes in the nursing profession can be costly and can lead to an innocent loss of lives. That is why it is essential that as a nurse, I must keep track of all my engagements so that I can detect the point at which a problem may have arisen so that I can rectify it within the shortest time possible. I also established I need to work with the nursing standards and legal standards to avoid any issues that may bring me trouble. Professional accountability, requires that I am up to date with what is happening in the medical field so that I do not find myself on the wrong side of the law.

4. Synthesis of Knowledge 

Some valuable knowledge that I gathered during my internship was that new knowledge should not be taken in a hurry unless it is solving a new medical condition whose treatment is unique. Any new knowledge that one comes across should be analysed critically using various methods to determine its effectiveness. New expertise can be sought from evidence-based practices that have come up with workable solutions to existing medical conditions. I have also realized that the culture of various groups of people plays a significant role in the treatment process. Therefore, cultural awareness is something that nurses should embrace so that they do not encounter problems in their field of practice. 

5. Compassion for Patients 

I learned that kindness is one characteristic that nurses should possess. The reason is that many patients are typically rendered helpless by their medical condition. They need someone who can feel what they are going through so that they can offer the necessary nursing care. Though I am currently in the paediatric department and wish to cross to the oncology department soon, I feel that I practice compassion by helping the cancer patients cope with their situation in the best way possible. The program has also taught me that I should not prioritize money over human life. I should ensure the patients are safe and, in a position, to recuperate comfortably before asking the relevant authorities about my pay. In so doing, I would be practicing compassion, that forms a bedrock of nursing care.

Becoming a Leader and Educator 

The course has prepared me to become a nurse leader by giving opportunities to guide my course mates in making various decisions. I have come across several aspects where leadership was required, something that I did with pleasure. An example is where some of my colleagues had missing marks in some of the exams. Such an issue could have prevented them from graduating. However, I followed up on this matter, and we discovered a computer error had led to that issue. Once it was rectified, everybody got his marks, and those who were to graduate did so. 

Interprofessional Collaboration 

The course made it possible for me to identify linkages between various professions and nursing. An example is where a time may come when law enforcers have to seek the services of nurses and vice versa. As such, I am always prepared to work with other professionals in ensuring that we serve the people of country in the best way possible. We do not hesitate to help other professions as long as we are doing it within the laws of our country. 

Knowledge of Genomics and Genetics 

I worked in the urology department, and I realized the significance of genetics and genomes. Though they appear to be minor issues, they can lead to loss of life or saving of life. I established that medical practitioners need to ensure that they are accurate in laboratory tests so that they avoid minor mistakes that may lead to loss of life.

Utilization of Information Technology 

The course provided a basis for understanding various aspects of the nursing care that require the application of information technology. These areas include keeping patient records and communicating with patients to schedule a check-up.

e.  Analyze how you fulfilled the following roles during your program: 

•    Scientist 

As a scientist, I did not accept new information without crosschecking it to determine its authenticity. I carried out tests or consulted from my colleagues for me to embrace it.

•    Detective 

As a detective, I questioned my patients probing questions that would help understand their condition so that I could identify the best way of helping them. After asking the right questions, it would be possible to come up with the right course of action to take in the given circumstances.

•    Manager of the healing environment 

The program taught me leadership skills, which means that I can manage a facility if I am given that responsibility. I know when to place orders for medicine and other equipment that can aid in the nursing practice.

f.  Discuss how you have grown professionally since the beginning of your program. 

I have a feeling that my professional growth has taken place significantly, thanks to this program. Before I enrolled, I could not address more than two people at once. However, the leadership class helped me develop personality, which has made it possible for me to face the various challenges that come with nursing. Such challenges include handling violent patients or their families, who may be unreasonable in their demands. The program has also helped me improve on my turn-around-time while attending to patients. In so doing, I take the shortest time while dealing with them, something that has made many patients prefer me attending to them to other nurses. The course has also made it possible for me to identify areas that require quick responses and those that can wait.

B.   “Quality and Safety” Section 

1.  Reflect on your professional definition of quality and safety developed in Professional Roles and Values, including any necessary changes to your definition. 

My definition of quality and safety is the host of measures put in place to ensure that patients get excellent medical services. They should be attended to within the shortest time possible and be given medical care that is commensurate with their health status. Safety measures will come in when handling them or ensuring that the environment in the medical facility does not aggravate their precarious situation. In so doing, the professional roles and values will be put into proper use.

a.  Discuss how the program assisted you in developing your professional definition. 

Quality and safety can be defined as all measures put inplace in ensuring that the patient gets the best care that will lead to quick recovery and resumption of his normal duties. Quality and safety go beyond the normal care given in health settings and encompasses a range of activities that will lead to the right diagnosis and consequently lead to the best care being provided. I feel that this program has made it possible for me to identify the best way of ensuring that I carry out the right diagnosis. I have learned that once the nurses offer quality care to the patients, the patients take a very short time in the health facility. The reason is that quality and safety measures will have been put in place to ensure that the patient gets the right attention that will make it possible for them recuperate within the shortest time possible.

The program has prompted my professional definition of quality and care by exposing real-life situations that have made it possible for me to realize that quality and care are paramount in clinical settings. I have, therefore, ensured that I play my role as expected so that I provide quality experiences among my concerned patients.

b.  Identify the artifacts in your portfolio that support your definition. 

The artifact entitled “Quality and Safety” Paper supports my definition. It looks at various aspects that need to be put in place for patients to get optimum care that will help them take the shortest time possible to recover. The artifact supports my definition in B1 above by showing that low-quality care will lead to poor health outcomes for the patients, which will consequently lead to unsafe conditions in which patients are handled, leading to the low quality of life brought about by increased infections to the patients.

2.  Discuss the importance of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) certificate for your future role as a professional nurse. 

The IHI certificate is significant to my future career as it will offer me insights on how to improve safety methods of taking care of patients and also how best to put the family and the patient at the centre of the healthcare team. The IHI certificate will also help improve the care given to the patients and how to help patients reduce the cost of care associated with their medical complications. It, therefore, means that this certificate will ensure that I am equipped in the best way possible to handle the various challenges that are likely to come my way while nursing patients.

C.   “Evidence-Based Practice” Section 

1 .  Reflect on your professional definition of evidence-based practice developed in Professional Roles and Values, including any necessary changes to your definition. 

Evidence-based practice is the application of new ideas in the nursing care. These new ideas must have worked elsewhere in a satisfactory manner. More so, they could be approaches to handling a given condition that could be outside normal/traditional medical practice . 

a.  Discuss how the program assisted you in developing your professional definition. 

Evidence-based practice is defined as the incorporation of new ideas in nursing practice that has been proven to be resulting in positive patient outcomes. It means that evidence-based practice brings with its new evidence on how best to attend to a given situation, something that is likely to lead to better treatment options with high rates of success. Any required changes to my definition will include the fact that evidence-based practice arises out of innovations that are taking place in the medical fields, whose results are positive.

The program had participated in the definition by making me keen on new information that I may come across related to the field of nursing. I am supposed to embrace it, interrogate it, and research it to determine whether it is to be trusted or not. If it yields positive outcomes for patients, I am supposed to embrace it and apply it to helping my patients.

b.  Identify the artifacts in your portfolio that support your definition. 

The artifact in my portfolio to support by descriptions where new approaches have been devised for handling falls. These new approaches lead to faster healing of injuries sustained from falls, and shorter hospital stays for the patients. The artifacts help me support my definition by showing that what I am applying may not have been taught in the medical school, and it is merely due to what medical practitioners learn while in the field practicing. 

2.  Reflect on your understanding of the evidence-based practice and applied nursing research by doing the following: 

a.  Discuss how you are able to evaluate current primary research and apply the concepts to your nursing practice. 

One way of evaluating current primary research would be by finding its efficacy in helping patients. I would determine its relevancy by looking at the positive outcomes it brings to patients by looking at the data showing the number of patients who may have been healed. In so doing, it will be possible for me to believe such data. Differences between improving quality and research will be shown by areas that require further research so that I am in a position of determining how best to help patients. The variances between primary research and secondary research and resources will be shown by the accuracy of treatment options that each resource provides. The implication for clinical practice will be that there is a need to use information that is credible in their practice.

b.  Explain how your experience in the program helped you achieve excellence in evidence-based practice. 

Excellence was achieved by showing me how to appraise it and determine what is likely to work and what is not likely to work.

D.   “Applied Leadership” Section 

Applied leadership is taking charge of a given situation, albeit on a temporary basis. Some situations may arise where normal leadership is absent, and clients need to be served. It, therefore, implies that one should take charge of such a situation so that a vacuum does not exist. In so doing, normal operations of a given health facility will continue running, and no complaints will arise. That is why it is good for those in leadership positions to groom others so that they may step in when need arises.

1.  Reflect on your professional definition of applied leadership you developed in Professional Roles and Values, including any necessary changes to your definition. 

Applied leadership can be defined as the assumption of leadership roles when those in charge are incapable of doing so. It calls for being responsible at all times when issues arise, which call for proper guidance. Applied leadership will affect several spheres of the nursing world, which end up making everybody feel appreciated by the concerned parties. It will also imply that anything that goes wrong should be rectified within stipulated timelines and nursing guidelines so that there is an element of doing the right thing at all times. The program made it possible for me to see that applied leadership comes about when a power vacuum is realized, which may lead to anarchy if one does not use his leadership skills and take charge of the situation. The program has ensured that issues of passing the blame on other entities do not exist, as this is not likely to lead to any desirable outcomes for the patients. That is why care must be taken to ensure that any vacuum that presents itself is filled immediately so that patients do not suffer more. The critical artifacts in my portfolio that support my description Are that it gives guidance on what is supposed to be done at all times.

2.  Summarize your Learning Leadership Experience task by doing the following: 

a.  Discuss the importance of professional collaboration for effective nursing leadership .

Professional collaboration makes it possible for nurses and other entities to share information that may help either side. The professional partnership will look at what can be shared or areas that may call for partnerships for effective nursing management to take place. Professional collaboration may go outside medical circles to ensure that assistance is sought and given to and from various quarters.

E.   “Community and Population Health” Section 

1.  Reflect on your professional definition of community and population health you developed in Professional Roles and Values, including any necessary changes to your definition. 

Community and population health refer to a host of activities carried out within communities to ensure their wellbeing. They involve the use of community members in coming up with activities that will lead to their overall wellbeing, health-wise.

a.  Discuss how the program assisted you in developing your professional definition. 

My meanings of community and population is the well-being of communities and or the identification of health problems that could be afflicting such communities. In many cases, there are possibilities that a given medical condition could be affecting a given population living in a specific community. Such a problem becomes a problem to the community, and measures should be put in place to contain it or prevent it from spreading. An example is where a more significant percentage of people could be obese due to the sedentary lifestyle led by a majority of the people. In so doing, it is possible to see that the said community has a problem that requires medical attention. The government can direct resources towards the given community so that the said condition is handled.

The program developed by professional description by bringing to my attention the high number of obese people in Texas. I was able to see that this is a community that a more significant percentage other population is overweight and requires medical attention.

b.  Identify the artifacts in your portfolio that support your definition 

The artifacts in my portfolio made it possible for me to identify that a big number of people could be having medical challenges that could be arising due to the situation in their environment. The artifact, therefore, helped me come up with the definition as stated above by showing that these are conditions that may be prevalent among a more significant number of people in the given population.

2.  Summarize your Community and Population Health task by doing the following: 

a.  Discuss what you learned during your Community Health Nursing task. 

I learnt that it is possible to generalize some conditions as affecting people of a given region. A critical examination of demographics indicates that some health conditions are prevalent in certain areas only. That is why resources need to be taken to them to deal with those problems. I also learned that local communities should be empowered on how best to avoid medical conditions that could be prevalent in their regions. The empowerment may come in the form of enlightening them or educating them on what they are supposed to do to keep away such conditions.

b.  Discuss what you learned led to your community diagnosis. 

Something that led to my community diagnosis was the patterns that I observed in the local communities seeking medical attention in the health facility. It was possible to see that they had almost similar medical conditions, which made me start wondering about the cause of this state of affairs. When I asked around about their lifestyle, it was possible to note that they led sedentary lifestyles, which made it impossible for them to exercise. That was why they ended up accumulating body fats that led to obesity.

c.  Discuss how your initial focus and diagnosis evolved after working with your population. 

The population made me realize that I had to change tact and handle these people as suffering from a similar condition that required urgent medical help. That was why I could come up with accurate generalizations about the condition that was prevalent in this region.

3.  Discuss the importance of the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) certificate for your future role as a professional nurse. 

The AMNH certificate will assist in identifying various issues related to genomic and genetic engineering, which will then make it possible for me help identify patients who may be at risk of suffering lifelong health complications in the future. I work with them towards ensuring that there is a delay in the onset of these complications and or total containment, which will make it possible for them to lead healthy lives in the future.