Oncology and Hermatology

Our 29-bed Hematology/Oncology unit provides patient and family-centered care for patients, from diagnosis through end of life. We are committed oncology nurses who have chosen to work with patients and their families at a very difficult time in their lives - and in many cases, as their lives come to an end.

Our incredible Palliative Care team helps us provide our patients and their families with education, support and help managing the side effects of their treatment. Caring for oncology patients is complex, and we work as an interdisciplinary team with Physicians, LNAs, Oncology Pharmacists, Social Workers, Case Managers, Clinical Dietitians, PTs and RTs to provide our patients with the best care.

We are supported by a fantastic Nurse Educator who supports and trains our nurses. She offers the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Chemotherapy and Biotherapy Course, provides End-of-Life Nursing Education Consortium (ELNEC) training and certification and runs a study group for ONS certification.

We offer many ongoing educational and professional development opportunities, ranging from mandatory nurse education days, to 15-minute educational sessions, to local and national ONS conference participation. The staff nurses who make up our unit council determine how the professional development budget is allocated.

Our unit is always working to improve our quality and processes through our unit council or through Google Groups that we've set up to discuss how to improve the unit. We do all this work because we really care about our patients and the quality of their lives.

For more information call Renee Dall at (802) 847-2819 or (800) 722-9922 or visit www.fletcherallen.org.

Oncology and Hermatology

Orientation

RN orientation is a year-long process, with the first 10 weeks dedicated to hospital orientation, systems-level nursing orientation and unit-level clinical experience and didactics. The Nurse Educator is very active in the orientation process. During the first 10 weeks, the new RN is assigned to work with preceptors to learn the routine of the unit, master organizational skills and become confident with the computer applications related to nursing documentation. As you progress, your experience will be expanded to include other shifts and will include "field trips" where you can experience other aspects of the Cancer Center to help you round out your experiences. These should include visits to the outpatient clinic, the Radiation Oncology Department and time with the Hospice team in the community. It is an expectation that you attain chemotherapy competency within one year of your employment, or earlier if you have previous experience.