Introduction
Studying in class, nursing students acquire much knowledge of the medical field; however, to become a professional, life experience is essential. Developing skills and competence in clinical practice under the supervision and guidance of superiors is an integral part of nursing education. Although assisted by others, adapting to the hardships of nurses’ daily routine is an enormously complex challenge. In my experience as an oncology nurse during this academic year, I have learned a great many lessons, the most important of which is emotional maturity.
Hospice Care
Hospice or end-of-life care is a responsibility to assist patients in staying as comfortable as possible. My experience in offering patients attention, care, and solace at the end of their lives has been acquired with the most difficulty. This is due to the fact that, together with medical assistance, these people required spiritual and social support. Informing patients and their families is accompanied by sympathy and compassion, which makes it most complex not to get invested and attached to every patient. Another task that proved to be almost unmanageable due to the lack of emotional control and maturity is managing symptoms and pain. Most of the patients are familiar and accustomed to such discomfort, complicating the process of recognizing it. Due to this, I improved my communication skills by learning to form direct and precise questions about the patient’s well-being.
Cancer Treatment
In my practice as an oncology nurse throughout the academic year, I have had many experiences administrating patients to cancer treatment. The task included many complex duties, such as managing allergic reactions and dealing with side effects. Although recognizing and assisting them in coping with fatigue, nausea, and vomiting, which are the most common reactions to cancer treatment, are laborious responsibilities, they were not the most challenging. In fact, managing my feelings and supporting cancer patients emotionally in their pain and suffering took much effort. Staying impartial and professional during such moments requires enormous strength and mental capability. According to Boyle and Bush (2018), such a job is often traumatic due to the routine of witnessing pure tragedy, thus demanding strict self-care. I am grateful to have obtained such an experience, teaching me about the importance of dedicating time to mental healing practices.
Radiotherapy
Caring for patients who receive a radiotherapy course requires much perception and attentiveness that cannot be clouded by emotional immaturity. After my previous experience, I was more accustomed to administrating patients to the facility and becoming familiar with them and their families. However, the responsibility of monitoring and assessing their state, pain level, and reactions to medications has the potential to induce much anxiety and fear. Being relied on to observe drug interactions and patient stability carefully imposes unmanageable stress. I believe that such feelings come from inexperience and lack of practice. Despite that, it is essential to address the issue and learn about the ways of coping with stress (Labrague et al., 2018). Having encountered such a problem, I have learned about the importance of integrating self-care practices in my daily life to achieve higher levels of emotional maturity.
Conclusion
Having gone through the days and work of an oncology nurse, I have grasped a better understanding of a medical worker’s challenges and learned that emotional maturity is an essential part of this profession. Taking care of cancer patients, supporting, and helping them and their families cope with pain requires excellent control of one’s feelings. In order to handle such a job, a nursing professional should integrate several mental health practices into their daily life. I am grateful to have had such an opportunity to improve my skills and prepare myself for a future career. In my further practice, I would like to have a chance to explore my capabilities in providing direct medical assistance.
References
Boyle, D. A., & Bush, N. J. (2018). Reflections on the emotional hazards of pediatric oncology nursing: Four decades of perspectives and potential. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 40, 63-73.
Labrague, L. J., McEnroe‐Petitte, D. M., Leocadio, M. C., Van Bogaert, P., & Cummings, G. G. (2018). Stress and ways of coping among nurse managers: An integrative review. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 27(7-8), 1346-1359.