life at the jude

i recently had my 90 day eval for my new job as a research nurse on the total 16 protocol. i can't believe i've been in my new position for 3 months already...well 4 months now! i am so blessed to have a career that i absolutely love and to have the opportunity to grow as a nurse and change jobs when i feel like the time has come. it was funny when i went out with my friends from nursing school the other night because 3 of them have been at lebonheur icu and the other one has been at st jude bone marrow transplant for the whole 11 years since we graduated. now i on the other hand...i started out at lebonheur orthopedics/hematology, then on to the ut cancer institute to their medicine room where i learned all about chemo (for adults), then out to fresno, ca to a pediatric oncology floor...and i loved ped onc so much i decided to try my hand at st jude when i moved back to memphis! when i first came to the jude i worked on the inpatient bone marrow transplant floor, then went to the outpatient radiation oncology clinic, then up to the leukemia floor...did a travel assignment in new york and worked on a peds gastro floor (yuck!)...back to the leukemia floor at the jude...and now i'm in the leukemia research department! wow...typing all that makes me tired...BUT i've gotten such great experience at each place and learned so much. i think my work history really makes me a well-rounded pediatric oncology nurse : )
i am loving my new job...it's a great mix between patient care and office work. i don't have to do any of the hands-on stuff, but i still see patients in the clinic every day and then have office time every afternoon as well to work on projects and stuff. and they just keep piling on the projects! today in our weekly meeting we were told about 2 new projects we are expected to begin...problem is they both will need to be maintained on excel spreadsheets which i know nothing about...guess i'll be learning how to work with those this week! i never really knew what a research nurse did until i took this position, but i have learned so much already in the short time i've been there from the 3 doctors i work with. they are all amazing and it's an honor to work closely with them. i have between 50-55 patients that i care for and have to make sure that everything is exactly the way the protocol says it is supposed to be or else we (st jude) will get in trouble. it's overwhelming but very interesting and i love it : )