When we were kids, I bet almost no one ever said, “I want to be an oncology nurse when I grow up!”

All nurses are important.  But oncology nurses are special.  To spend four or five days a week doing hands-on work with cancer patients can be a thankless job.  Sure, there are lots of victories these days – patients are living longer than ever after receiving treatment for most cancers.   But losing patients who have invariably become friends can’t be easy.

Most of the oncology nurses that I have gotten to know over the years have been knowledgeable, helpful, and interested in me and my wellbeing.  Being close to so many patients, I can only imagine how difficult it must be when one of them dies after helping them through months or years of treatment.

I once had an emergency room nurse explain to me what she thought was the best part of her job. “I only see a patient once or twice,” she explained.  “I don’t see them long enough – or often enough – to become attached.  It’s easier to go home at night if someone takes a turn for the worse – or we lose them.”

Not so with most oncology nurses.  They see a patient once or twice a week – or more – for months at a time.

An oncology nurse needs to be skilled with an IV needle and a wiz at understanding how a wide variety of medications are dosed and how and why they work.

But an oncology nurse is also a therapist.  If chemo doesn’t help a patient, the nurse shares in the patient’s disappointment.  If a patient’s veins are difficult to find and “stick,” the nurse feels the patient’s discomfort and despair.  And if a patient dies, the nurse mourns the loss of a friend.

I almost always try and strike up a conversation with the nurses who help me.  Many are frustrated by long hours, low pay, and time spent away from their families.

A while back, I followed along as one of my nurse’s daughters made her way through a difficult pregnancy.  I remember looking forward to my twice monthly infusions so I could catch up on how her daughter was doing.  When she delivered her baby almost a week after the due date, I celebrated with my nurse like I was part of the family.

That’s because I was!  This woman treated all of her patients like they were close relatives.  And by relatives, I mean the kind you want to spend time with – not the side of your family that you only see reluctantly at Thanksgiving!

So whether you are served by a number of different nurses at a large cancer center – or one or two at a small local clinic – take the time to get to know them.  And don’t forget to say thank you for being there during the good times and bad.

Feel good and keep smiling!