Infusion Nurse Would Recommend Nursing As The Perfect Career For Anyone

Heidi Wieser is the assistant nurse manager at the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center Adult Infusion Department. Wieser received her bachelor's in political science from the University of Arizona and later her nursing degree from the College of Marin. Just last year, Wieser completed her master's in nursing from the University of Phoenix."

What does your job entail?

"I am the assistant nurse manager at the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center Adult Infusion Department. I oversee staff in the daily activities of patients receiving their chemotherapy treatments. I work alongside leadership to assist with clinical and educational development of our staff."

What parts of your job do you enjoy?

"Regardless of the lists I make for my day, I never know how my day will unfold. What I do know is that I will remain honest, professional and serve as a role model to my staff and our patients. I have always worked with oncology patients. I enjoy learning alongside our patients as new technology and therapies are developed each and every day. WE are in every sense of the word, a team."

Do you think your education has helped in your current position?

"ABSOLUTELY, I would not be where I am today without my education. I have always wanted to be a nurse. My Dad died of cancer when I was 15. He was 43. My husband of 25 years was diagnosed when he was 40 with the same colorectal cancer my Dad died from. My husband passed away at age 49. We have four children. I started my MSN program 10 months before my husband passed away. I never took a day off of school. Through the University of Phoenix, I was able to attend school 24/7. While my husband was in the hospital for brain surgery, I was going to school. While he was getting radiation, I was in school. While he was getting chemotherapy, I was in school. While he was on hospice care, I was in school. While I planned his funeral, I was in school. School was my constant through the most horrific time of my life. School got me out of bed. My MSN has opened so many opportunities and allowed me to find purpose in myself and my life."

Any advice for people wanting to pursue a similar career?

"Nursing is the perfect career for anyone. Nurses are needed all over the world in an enormous variety of manners. Basic nursing skills sets will never change. The human component to nursing care is what makes nursing the most humbling, gratifying and heartwarming career. I have mentored many individuals into the professional career of nursing. I continue to be in awe of the expert people they have become."

Paulo Acoba is a California native raised in the Bay Area and living in the Central Valley. He enjoys distance running, cycling and grassroots motorsports. He holds a degree in management from the University of California Merced. Paulo has been writing for Examiner.com since 2012 and covering the Fresno area.