Hi La Shawn,

Thank you so much for reaching out to Cancer and Careers. Congratulations on becoming an LPN and securing a new job! And I am sorry to hear about your recent diagnosis. There's never a good time to receive such news, but this kind of timing can create more challenges around decision-making. 

With that said, we often encourage those who are newly diagnosed to take some time before making any big decisions. There are so many  'what if's' when it comes to cancer and treatment. Everyone's situation can be different, so treatment that causes severe side effects in one person, may cause mild symptoms in others. It's important to have frank and honest conversations with your healthcare team to find out what they foresee you experiencing. Once you have that information, you can start thinking about what to do. However, you don't know how your treatment protocol will impact you, so it might be a good idea to wait and see a bit before quitting your job.

Of course, if you feel you want to quit your job so you can put all of your energy into focusing on your treatment and health, then by all means that is what you should do, but that is a decision only you can make. Making yourself and your health a priority is key. For some people, they find that work helps them to cope with cancer, by continuing with an element of normalcy in their lives. This can be different for everyone, there's no right answer, it's only about what feels right for you.

This can be a time where you are reciving and processing a LOT of information, so don't feel rushed to make a deciison right away. If you are concerned about taking time off and not working, and thus potentially falling behind on your skills and experience, you could always look into participating in some professional development courses while you are off work. There are so many options for distance and online learning nowawdays, that could be a possible interim solution as you see how everyting with treatment plays out.

It might help to take a look at our section on "Where to Start" which includes a number of articles focusing on some major considerations when receiving a diagnosis. At the end of the day you want to make sure you've gathered enough information to make an informed decision that works best with what you want and most importantly, what you need.

Happy to discuss further if you'd like. Feel free to reach out to cancerandcareers@cew.org to schedule a time to speak with a CAC staff member. Good luck with everything and please don't hesitate to reach out.

Warm regards,

Nicole Jarvis, LMSW

Assistant Director of Programs

Cancer and Careers

Hey congrats on becoming a nurse! I just saw your post and wanted to let you know you could look into private duty nursing. It is a better option for those that are weak and have a weakened immune. You'd stay with the same patient all day vs multiple, and you have a lot of down time. I switched to peds a few years ago due to lifting issues. The pay varies depending on the care, but easy kiddos (just a g-button) run $20/hr and critical trach/vent run $25/hr as an LVN/LPN. Most companies offer PTO and benefits and 32hrs counts as full time. It is usually 12hr shifts so you only work a few days per week. The only warning I have (and the reason I'm on this site myself) is to make sure you get a case that has adequate coverage. I tend to get attached to the patient and if the company doesn't have enough staffing, I feel guilty and end up working OT which isn't good for your health. If you are good at setting boundaries, I think this would be a great field for you to check out. Good luck!