“It’s my dream job” - 60 seconds with Kady, paediatric oncology nurse
“It’s my dream job” - 60 seconds with Kady, paediatric oncology nurse to mark Childhood Cancer Awareness Month this September.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and why you chose to become a clinical nurse specialist in paediatric oncology?
I qualified as a nurse 13 years ago and went straight into working on an inpatient oncology ward. I always knew I wanted to work in paediatric oncology because this type of nursing requires a huge amount of emotional support as well as clinical skills. My aim was to work as a clinical nurse specialist (CNS) as it combines the ability to support patients and their families, provide support and education to the multi-disciplinary team and maintain my clinical skills. It is the perfect mix and my dream job. Since becoming a CNS, I haven’t looked back.
What's your favourite thing about your job?
We treat a small number of patients on my ward. This enables me to really get to know the young people and their families well, and provide individual holistic care. Even through difficult times the children and young people we care for are so inspirational, strong and never fail to put a smile on my face.
What are the challenges?
Many of the challenges of being a CNS nurse are not actually about the cancer our patients have, but the effects it has on their daily lives. This is especially true within the current climate. Life can be hard enough for a child or young person without dealing with a cancer diagnosis and treatment. A lot of my time as a CNS nurse can be spent dealing with a family’s social and psychological concerns, but it’s worth it if it enables them to handle treatment and its side effects.
Another challenge is that diagnosing cancer in children and young people.One of the reasons for this is that thankfully, childhood cancer remains rare and many symptoms of the disease are the same as for acute childhood illnesses. This means it‘s really important health professionals and the public are aware of the symptoms of cancer in children, and when to seek advice. We also know childhood cancer treatment has advanced so much due to research in recent years. But it’s imperative this research continues in order to find more treatments with fewer side effects. Because many of the treatments we have right now can help a child or young person survive cancer, but often with serious long-term side effects.
What advice would you give to parents who are caring for children with cancer
Keep talking, keep asking questions and know there is support out there for you. Take things one day at a time and remember your child is still the same person - try to keep life as normal as possible. Soak up their smiles and remember to give yourself time.