I help patients fight disease. I administer chemotherapy intravenously and other intravenous drugs in an outpatient clinic. I also teach patients about chemotherapy and the process of oncology.

EDUCATION | Associate Degree in Nursing, Chemotherapy certified

HOW TO GET STARTED | The best advice I can give is to get exposure to actually take care of patients. A lot of people think they can do it, but they don't know what they are getting themselves into. If you are interested you can start with an associate degree and then their employers can pay for you to go get your Masters Degree.

MUST HAVE TRAITS | Calm and able to handle stressful situations, organized, prioritize

how I got started | My dad thought that this was a good career to go into, so he encouraged me to go to school for nursing. I continued to work in nursing for thirty years because it fit my schedule. I was raising my children and need the flexibility and benefits. I have been working at UCLA, so the benefits were great in all aspects. I was working all that time in the inpatient med-surge department, but I found it very stressful and didn't enjoy my work. There are a lot of negative things about that department. You're being exposed to blood products and having to do unpleasant procedures. Luckily, two years ago I randomly floated to the outpatient oncology and infusion office. I fell in love with it. I liked the setting, the outpatient acuity of the patients; it was a different level of care, which I really enjoyed. So I pursued that and got a job working in the department shortly after.

why this job?| I really enjoy meeting new people and that is exactly what you get to do at this job. I have the opportunity to meet people from all walks of life and help them at a time when they need me. I like working in the university setting its never stagnant. There is always new technology coming out and new research and studies. And this in market there is always job security and it is very diverse you can go in a lot of different directions. You could be a school nurse or do research or lab work.

why I love this job!| Diversity, stability and growth

my typical day| I start at 7:30 a.m. and I come in and go over my work for the day. I check the lab and wait for first person to come in. The first person comes in at 8 a.m. and every hour after that. When the patient comes in, I check their vital signs and check if they're having any side affects that would stop them from getting treatment. I make sure their lab work is ok, I draw blood and run tests. And then if they are ready for treatment, then we proceed to treat patient. I mix medication and access IV line and hang meds and observe the patient during treatment and do it all over again with the next person.

what they are | Dealing with people who are sick and when they are not at they best is really hard. So, dealing with the patients that are sick and their family is hard. The long hours that run 12 to 14 hours are hard as well. You are also asked to work nights and holidays which can be an annoyance if you want to spend time with your family.

all about growth | There is always a high demand for nurses. There is a structured latter that most hospitals have. Usually, you start off at the bottom and the more experience you have the more likely you can more up and to different departments. There is a lot of cross training and employers will train you. There is always opportunity in this field and stability.

my website|