Masters in Nursing Oncology Clinical Nurse

Cancer is one of the most common and most serious diseases to impact the American populace, and it is a disease that takes many forms. Oncologists are challenged with treating each type of cancer with different medications and treatment modalities based on the type of cancer cell that is involved and the location of the cancerous growth. That is the complex medical environment that a clinical nurse specialist who chooses oncology as a specialization will be working in. The Masters in Nursing Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist degree prepares an advanced practice nurse to work with patients and doctors in this complex medical field.

Oncology is also one of the most heavily researched medical fields, providing new discoveries about the nature of the disease and new treatment options constantly. At any given time there are several new medications or combinations of medications in clinical trials for treatment of some form of cancer. Clinical research is one area where an oncology clinical nurse specialist can expect to find employment, as large sums are expended every year on cancer research and in most cases, that research involves testing treatments with cancer patients. Those clinical research models require medical specialists to interact with the patients and to record the ongoing test information for purposes of verification and eventually, FDA inspection.

A nurse who has opted for the Masters in Nursing Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist program may also find work in a cancer ward within a research hospital or in a hospital that has developed a cancer treatment center. There is no shortage of cancer treatment programs; every major city has several hospitals that maintain cancer centers, the VA operates several cancer treatment programs, and the federal government underwrites cancer research at 64 selected cancer specialization facilities around the country. Oncology clinical nurse specialists work in all of these facilities, providing knowledgeable management for daily care and treatment regimens and guidance for the shift nurses. Some clinical nurse specialists who work in oncology may also specialize in pediatric oncology, if they are working in a facility large enough to offer cancer treatment for children.