What makes oncology nursing special?
PURPOSE: To identify the factors that influence oncology nurses’ decisions to enter nursing and specialize in oncology and to describe the role dimensions of oncology nursing practice. DESIGN: Multi-institutional, descriptive, qualitative. SETTING: Six sites in different regions of the United States; rural and urban cancer and noncancer centers. SAMPLE: 38 oncology nurses (mean age = 35 years; average time in nursing = 10 years and in oncology = 7 years; 47% bachelor’s degree in nursing, 29% diploma, 13% associate degree in nursing, and 11% master’s prepared). METHODS: Phenomenological; content analysis of interviews. MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES: Life events, career decision-making, personal and professional rewards, role dimensions of practice, caring behaviors. FINDINGS: Nurses said that their decisions to specialize in oncology were based on family experiences with cancer, the challenges of administering sophisticated cancer therapies, and influential role models. They reported that pro
