ONS Connect - January 2008 - (Page 17)

UpClOSE&pROfESSiONAl New Year, New Nurses: Members Will Share a “Year in the Life” of Nursing as a Second Career [By Camille A. Servodidio, RN, MPH, CRNO, OCN®, CCRP, Contributing Editor] Beth Gouge, RN Editor’s note. Throughout 2008, Up Close and Professional will share a year in the lives of two ONS members. Tune in each issue to learn about their successes, challenges, and obstacles as oncology nurses as well as how they balance busy careers with personal responsibilities and ONS involvement. ersonal experience with a sick family member can lead to oncology nursing as a second career choice. ONS member Beth Gouge, RN, a clinical nurse in oncology at Memorial Health System in Colorado Springs, CO, made the decision when her niece was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. “During my visit, I stood back and observed everything that was going on in the unit. I was extremely interested, and that day I decided to go to nursing school as a second career,” Beth says. “It was the hardest adventure of my life,” Beth admits. “I cried daily but got through nursing school and the state board exam. When I heard that I passed the NCLEX exam, I cried once again. It was the happiest day for me.” Beth has been married to her husband Mark for 19 years. She has two yellow Labrador retrievers named Abby and Jack. Beth has completed Ironman® Canada and the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii. She has finished the Leadville, CO, 100-mile mountain bike race five times. ONS member Lynne Rossier, RN, oncology staff RN for Cancer Care Associates in Royal Oak, MI, believes that oncology nursing chose her rather than the reverse. Lynne’s younger Lynne Rossier, RN brother died from acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and she wanted to give something back. “The doctors and nurses who cared for him were so supportive and incredible. I didn’t realize the huge impression it made on me until later in life, when I was again blessed with incredible nurses who helped, listened, and provided support when my father became a hospice patient. This taught me the importance of the small things we do, like taking a minute to listen or giving a patient a hug,” Lynne says. After making the career switch and graduating from nursing school, Lynne held a variety of positions, but not all involved nursing. “I constantly felt like I had missed out on something or had given up my calling. I returned to nursing at an outpatient dialysis clinic, which wasn’t a good fit for me. I began as a chemotherapy nurse in March of last year and have not looked back since. I plan to take the OCN® exam in August 2008.” Lynne’s family includes her mother, two brothers and sisters-in-law, and six nephews. She likes to knit, read, and practice Pilates. She completed a mini-marathon two years ago for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training® Program. ✱ P Contributing Editor Camille A. Servodidio, RN, MPH, CRNO, OCN®, CCRP, is an RN coordinator/project director for the Connecticut Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program at the Hartford Hospital Cancer Clinical Research Office. JANUARY 2008 ONS CONNECT 17

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of ONS Connect - January 2008

ONS Connect - January 2008 Contents Editor's Note Just In Up Front You Tell Us Up Close & Professional Web Connect Capitol Connection Notice Nursing Now Caregiver Care Five Minute In-Service New Treatments, New Hope Calendar of Events ONS Election Working For You Staying On Top

ONS Connect - January 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.