The Hire Connection: Honoring Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Nurses

We talk frequently about the importance of hiring experienced physicians for your practice, but today we want to dedicate our attention to another crucial member of any medical health team: the nurses. In honor of National Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses Day on September 8th, 2016, we thought we'd dedicate this blog to these specific nursing specialists.

Understanding Hematology-Oncology

MedicineNet.com defines Hematology-Oncology (or "hem-onc" for short) as the "diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of blood diseases (hematology) and cancer (oncology) and research into them." Examples of diseases that fall under the hematology-oncology classification include:

Hemophilia
Iron Deficiency Anemia
Sickle Cell Disease
Thalassemia
Lymphoma
Leukemia
Other Types of Cancer

Respecting Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Patients

Patients and their families are often grief-stricken when they hear of these particular diagnoses, and treatment is often long, grueling, and incredibly time-consuming. For example, cancer patients (even in the best circumstances) may expect to spend several weeks or months in the hospital during the initial stages of their treatment, followed by years of outpatient tests, treatment, and observation. Depending on the specific diagnosis and how advanced the disease was before it was discovered, some patients may never have any hope of recovery.

Considering this information, it's easy to see why a diagnoses in the hematology-oncology field can be so horrifying - especially for pediatric patients. Such a diagnoses is hard for anyone, but it is especially tragic for children and teenagers who would otherwise still have so much life left ahead of them.

Honoring Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Nurses

Due to the life-altering and sometimes tragic nature of these diseases, it takes a special type of nurse to work in this field. These nurses must be able to treat and interact with patients who are actively engaged in their treatment and looking forward to getting better, but they must also be able to be provide empathetic care to patients who may never get to live another day outside the hospital. Skill and expertise is critical for a nurse to succeed in this field, but empathy and genuine caring for their patients are almost equally as crucial.

Since they work primarily with children, pediatric hematology-oncology nurses must possess the added skills required to work successfully with young people. Young children process information and emotions differently than adults do, and it takes a special nurse to be able to create the type of environment a critically ill child can feel comfortable in.

Recruiting Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Nurses

If you are preparing to hire a new pediatric hematology-oncology nurse, ensuring that you find the right candidates is essential. Our medical recruiting experts are here to help you with every step of the process, including advertising your opportunity, screening prospective candidates, designing your proposed compensation package, and negotiating the terms of employment with your chosen candidate. For more information about our specialized healthcare recruiting services, visit our website at www.TheHireConnection.net or call us at (866) 661-4473.

The Hire Connection Team