Oncological Nurses

Employers

Oncological nurses practice in many professional settings, including AIDS, oncology, and medical surgical units, at hospitals and cancer centers or treatment facilities. Some may be employed by private practice physicians, hospice programs, or by health education centers or research facilities. Some may work as public health nurses.

Starting Out

Oncology nurses must first become registered nurses by completing one of the three kinds of educational programs and passing the licensing examination. Registered nurses may apply for employment directly to hospitals, nursing homes, and companies and government agencies that hire nurses. Jobs can also be obtained through school career services offices, by signing up with employment agencies specializing in placement of nursing personnel, or through state employment offices. Other sources of jobs include nurses' associations, professional journals, newspaper want ads, and Internet job and social networking sites. Additionally, the Oncology Nursing Society offers job listings at its Web site, https://careers.ons.org/jobs.