Oncology nurses see patients during a frightening and tumultuous time of their lives. A cancer diagnosis is never welcome news, and oncology nurses help treat, educate, and guide patients and their families through testing, treatment, and recovery.
Also called hematology/oncology nurses (Heme/Onc), oncology nurses treat patients of all ages. Oncology nursing can be an emotionally challenging career choice, but many find it incredibly rewarding. Whether administering life-saving treatment, answering nervous questions, or preparing patients for the road ahead, Heme/Onc nurses can help make a difficult time more tolerable and help cancer patients become cancer survivors.
Where Do Oncology Nurses Work?
With all the varied aspects of cancer care, oncology nurses have a lot of workplace choices. Some common options include:
Chemotherapy infusion centers
Extended care facilities
Home care agencies
Hospice facilities/home care
Hospitals
Outpatient cancer centers
Physician offices
Private medical clinics
Universities
In the hospital, oncology nurses see patients in the acute phase of their cancer. They may be admitted for a bone marrow transplant, an infection, or pain control, among other reasons. In outpatient clinics and medical offices, cancer patients attend scheduled appointments for checkups, lab work, and treatment infusions. Some cancer patients may be eligible for home health, in which case nurses visit them at home to administer treatment and perform assessments.
Cancer research has grown exponentially over the past couple of decades, and research positions are a great option for an oncology nurse with experience. Research oncology nurses typically work on a team that is affiliated with a university.
Oncology nurses may choose to focus on a specific aspect of cancer care:
Bone marrow transplant
Breast oncology
Chemotherapy/treatment infusion
Gastrointestinal oncology
Genetic counseling
Gynecologic oncology
Hematology
Hepatic oncology
Immunotherapy
Neuro-oncology
Radiation oncology
Surgical oncology
Each of these subspecialties requires a specific skill set and knowledge base, and a nurse who chooses an oncology subspecialty can become an expert in that field.
What Does an Oncology Nurse Do?
Oncology nurses perform many of the same daily tasks as any other nurse, with some additions. Chemotherapy certification is often required by oncology units and infusion centers, as chemotherapy must be handled with extreme care.
Some typical oncology nursing tasks may include:
Assistance in procedures like bone marrow biopsies
Blood and other bodily fluid collection for laboratory testing
Central line management (like ports and PICCs)
Chest tube management
Collaboration with other health team members
Coordination of care with other departments
Dressing changes
Emergency resuscitation
Head-to-toe assessment
Insertion and management of foley catheters
IV insertion and maintenance
Medication administration, including chemotherapy and other cancer therapies
NG tube insertion and maintenance
Patient and family education
Patient hygiene and comfort
Patient transportation
Tracheostomy management
Vital signs monitoring
Whether an oncology nurse sees a patient at home to take vital signs or administer chemotherapy during a hospital stay, they get to know the people they care for and form relationships with them. This rapport allows oncology nurses to truly support cancer patients in all aspects of care: physical, mental, and emotional. This can be a difficult ask of a nurse, but many cope with the challenges through the knowledge that they can make a huge difference in a patient’s treatment and recovery.
How Do I Become an Oncology Nurse?
Prospective oncology nurses must first graduate from an accredited nursing program. Currently, oncology nurses can graduate with an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). While both degrees earn the designation of a registered nurse (RN), many oncology units prefer to hire nurses with a BSN.
After earning their degree, nurses can apply for oncology jobs as graduate nurses (GNs). Many oncology offices and units hire GNs and begin to train them while they prepare to take their state licensing exam, the NCLEX. After GNs pass the NCLEX-RN, they become RNs and can work independently after they complete their facility’s orientation period.
When oncology nurses have some experience under their belt, they can choose to test for a specialty certification or return to school to earn an advanced practice degree. After graduating with a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), nurses can practice as nurse practitioners (NPs). Nurses can earn their MSN in two years, but some prefer to go at a slower pace so they can work full-time while they study.
Through the Oncology Nursing Society, nurses can earn their ONS/ONCC Chemotherapy Biotherapy Certificate. To take this course, nurses must have one year of experience administering chemotherapy or immunotherapy at least once a month.
How Much Does an Oncology Nurse Make Per Year?
Oncology nurses’ annual salary is comparable to any other RN in acute care. RNs make $81,220 per year on average as of 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Salaries can change with location and experience, with a low-end average of $61,250 and a high-end of $129,400. Depending on the workplace type, employers may be able to offer higher or lower compensation:
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals: $90,600
Home Health Care Services: $82,920
Offices of Physicians: $79,810
Outpatient Care Centers: $97,200
The West Coast, New England states, and Alaska pay their nurses the best, but the cost of living in these areas can also be high. The lowest paying states are in the Midwest and some southeastern states.
Oncology nurse practitioners can earn more than RNs, with average annual earnings of $121,610, according to BLS data from 2022. The BLS reports a low-end average of $87,340 and a high-end of $165,240. Salary can also change based on employment type:
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals: $129,330
Home Health Care Services: $148,960
Offices of Physicians: $121,880
Offices of Other Health Practitioners: $112,660
Outpatient Care Centers: $134,030
The location of employment can affect oncology nurse practitioners as well, with differences similar to RNs.
The top paying areas for oncology nurses and nurse practitioners include:
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA
San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA
Napa, CA
Vallejo-Fairfield, CA
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ
Yuba City, CA
Sacramento-Roseville-Arden-Arcade, CA
Are Oncology Nurses in High Demand?
The American Cancer Society predicted nearly two million people would be diagnosed with cancer in 2023. Unfortunately, cancer rates continue to climb every year. While rates climb, new treatments also become available, and cancer survival continues to grow.
The United States is low on nurses across all specialties. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that 24% of U.S. hospitals have reported critical staffing shortages, and at least eight states have had to call in help from the military for staffing. With new cancer diagnoses and treatments needed, oncology nurses will continue to be in high demand.
NursingEducation strives to provide information that is up-to-date and unbiased. By engaging professionals from multiple healthcare perspectives, we ensure our content contains accurate information that helps our readers.
We have combined decades of experience teaching, publishing research, and working with patients in all fields of medicine to create accurate and straightforward online education. Once written, each article undergoes a rigorous peer-review process to bring you the highest quality, most comprehensive content possible.
Our writers receive feedback from reviewers to clarify content, prevent misleading statements, and identify areas that would benefit from more information. Our subject matter experts and reviewers generally work full-time in their professions and work for NursingEducation part-time.
