Treating cancer is very much a team effort these days. And, working closely with other members of the team, oncology nurses are becoming more and more closely involved with the care of people with cancer.
Although your primary physician or oncologist is responsible for the diagnosis and planning of
effective treatment, there is now more of a professional collaboration between oncology physicians and nurses than there used to be. The oncology nurse will make decisions about your care within her or his scope of practice. The physician encourages and values the nurses' recommendations and contributions.
• In the hospital, it is the nurses who will be with you 24 hours a day, seven days a week. So your doctor will
often ask the nursing team for updates on your condition. Nurses may make "walking rounds" with the doctor
to find out how you are doing and to make plans for the upcoming day. It is the oncology nurse at the hospital
who monitors your vital signs, assesses lab work and physical findings, evaluates your needs and calls the
physician when necessary.
• On an out-patient basis or in the office, the nurse will work with you at a more independent level. Your doctor
still maps out the treatment plan, but the oncology nurse is an invaluable colleague in carrying it out. Nurses
may help the doctor plan and decide the most effective way to deliver chemotherapy drugs. And the nurse's
opinion will be especially valuable in, for example, choosing the antinausea medications most likely to be
effective for your particular chemotherapy treatment.
• Nurses and doctors will usually hold patient care conferences to discuss your treatment. Nurses can often
point out subtle changes in your condition that your doctors might not be aware of, some of which could
