It is important to pick the specialty you love, the HOACNY nurse says
By Stefan Yablonski
At a young age, Robin Neider already knew what she wanted to be when she grew up.
She has been an oncologist nurse for more than 30 years at Hematology-Oncology Associates of Central New York. She is also the president of the local chapter of the Oncology Nursing Society.
The Cicero resident is married with three children and one granddaughter.
“I grew up in Homer. I went to college at Oswego State for two years and majored in psychology. Then I transferred to St. Joe’s Nursing School,” she said. “I always knew that I wanted to do something that … to do a job that would contribute to helping people have a better life. I liked psychology but I kind of thought I’d have to go to school for five years and I wasn’t sure that I wanted to do that. But it ended up being five years anyway. I met my husband and we were coming back to the Syracuse area and I decided I wanted to do nursing.”
It’s always been nursing, specializing in oncology, she added.
“I love it. When you are in nursing school you could work as a nurse’s aide or get your LPN boards. I always liked covering the oncology unit; many other nurses didn’t want to go there. They thought it would be depressing. I never saw it that way. I loved it since the first time I floated there,” she said.
“I have thought about retiring and certainly I am preparing for it,” she said. “But I am not ready to retire yet. I am only 65. I am definitely preparing for it. But I still love what I do — so, I am not ready yet!”
It is important to pick the specialty you love, she advises future nurses.
“Like oncology, no matter where I worked, they support continuing education and keeping up with the new things that are being developed,” she added, “It is important to pick a specialty that you are passionate about.”
She has been a member of the Oncology Nursing Society for about 30 years.
“It’s national, but we have a local chapter. I have been a board member for the local chapter for many years. I was president previously. You could only hold it for two years, but I am president again now. This will be the last one and then I will pass the torch,” she said. “We help facilitate, we do like educational dinner meetings, a lot of nursing wellness and organize different activities. It’s really nice.”
Changes
“Oh, yes, there have been several changes, especially in oncology. It is amazing the changes that we have seen. Everyone kind of thinks that cancer care is depressing. There is sadness, but there are new developments all the time. It’s unbelievable,” she said. “I have worked with a lot of oncology nurses. We all just seem to share the same passion for the specialty. I have formed a lot of great friendships with oncology nurses over the years.
“I went from in-patient oncology to Hematology-Oncology Associates and I have been there for 30 years. I don’t think many people stay, at least nowadays, in the job. Technically I have only had two nursing jobs; they were all in oncology.”
When she was 50, she went back and got her bachelor’s degree from Keuka College.
“It was amazing — they accepted all my Oswego credits! They were like many years old and they still accepted them,” she said. “St. Joe’s was a diploma school, so I wanted to get my bachelor’s. I would have kept going but it’s expensive at that age.”
“It has been an honor working with Robin for over two decades. She is the benchmark oncology certified registered nurse,” said Hematology-Oncology Associates of CNY CEO Jennifer Pichoske. “She has spent a lifetime dedicated to patients, families and caregivers helping ease the cancer experience through empathy, compassion and exceptional nursing care. She is a mentor and example for all, emulating excellence in oncology care. Robin should celebrate all her achievements and the lives she has touched.”