The Onclogy Nurse

Josefa Azcueta, RN, OCN, and Deborah Hamolsky, RN, MS, OCN 

Margaret was a 42-year-old mother of two. She discovered a 
lump in her breast a few months after she had learned Breast Self-Examination techniques from Nancy, a nurse at the local 
Breast Examination Training (BET) center. After mammography 
and fine needle aspiration of the lump, she saw her doctor, who confirmed the diagnosis of cancer.  After a Tumor Board presentation, her oncologist reviewed and explained all the
options to Margaret and her husband.  The decision was made
to go ahead with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.
    After her mastectomy, Margaret met nurses like Maria who changed her dressings, gave her medications and sat on the
bed and held her hand when she cried in the middle of the night.
    After Margaret was discharged, Louise and Joe came to her
home for follow-up visits. And when chemotherapy was started in
the oncologist's office, nurses like Judy, Irene and Nancy taught her