When searching for a career path I found myself time after time researching the medical field. Now, as I have chosen my college and major this has only become all the more real. At IUSB I plan to work towards obtaining a bachelor 's degree in nursing. Nursing allows for countless opportunities and areas to specialize in. Theresa Brown, a real-life Oncology/Hematology Nurse, writes the riveting novel “The Shift” through her eyes as she attempts to care for four high-maintenance and very ill patients. When I researched Oncology as a career path I focused primarily on Pediatric Oncology. Although this book relates more to my past aspirations of Pediatric Oncology, many similarities align with my current aspirations of working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). As I read through “The Shift”, by Theresa Brown, I have learned a lot about the everyday routine of a busy Oncology/Hematology Nurse and why the characteristics and skills …show more content…
Newborns need of a lot of attention in general, but especially premature or ill newborns. Just as Theresa’s patients keep her on her toes, the babies in the NICU would need constant attention and would keep me plenty busy as well. Working in both the NICU and Oncology/Hematology departments does require a lot of energy and the shifts tend to run especially long. Theresa starts her 12-hour shift at 7 am and will, hopefully, leave by 7 pm. Similarly to the Oncology/Hematology department, NICU patients can take a turn for the worse. Emergencies may come up and you may not get the chance to eat more than a few saltine crackers in the usual 12-hour shift. Theresa knows this all too well when stating in the novel that the clock read a little past 1 pm and she only managed to sneak a few saltine crackers in between patients. I expect this lack of relaxing time to remain true in a lot of other departments of the hospital, like the