He’s in the midst of deciding on a life course.

He knows he wants to be a nurse and not just any nurse, but the best nurse ever.  Good choice.

But here comes the hard part.  He really wants to be a pediatric oncology nurse, but he’s not sure he can handle the job.  “Can I stand-up to cancer attacking such young lives?” he said.  He’s worried the toll of cancer’s harsh swipe on a child will destroy him.  He’s a compassionate person and taking this path might be too much to take on.

I’ve always thought being any kind of oncology nurse is the toughest job in the world.  These women and men are the strongest souls around.  I don’t know how they make it through a day much less a career.  They are the strength of the team.  They are the first line of contact for a patient or caregiver when a crisis comes-up or when a question needs answering or a treatment has gone sideways causing problems.  All these years down the road, and I still remember the days when our nurse pulled rabbits out of her hat and saved the day.

So all I could say to this young man is weigh the options carefully.  Not everyone is cut out to be a cancer angel.  You can get your wings in so many other areas of medicine and still be an angel.

It’s a tough choice.