The purpose of this cross-sectional, descriptive pilot study was to collect frequency data for oncology nurses' awareness of cognitive impairment (CI) secondary to chemotherapy, practice patterns related to assessment and education of patients and families about CI, and access to related educational materials. A convenience sample of 34 RNs was used in conjunction with a local Oncology Nursing ...

Although nausea and vomiting occur in patients with cancer for various reasons, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) remains one of the most distressing symptoms associated with cancer therapy. Despite advances in the management of that side effect, patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy continue to report CINV. Oncology nurses should be aware of advances in the management of CI...

OBJECTIVE To compare responses of patients with cancer with those of a matched control group, cancer specialists, general practitioners, and cancer nurses in assessing personal cost-benefit of chemotherapy. DESIGN Prospective study of consecutively recruited patients with cancer and other groups by questionnaire; half of the patients received the questionnaire again three months after startin...

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To describe current nursing practices in the United States regarding care and safety of patients taking oral chemotherapy. DESIGN This three-phase study consisted of development, validation, and implementation of a national online survey. SETTING Survey of oncology nurses in outpatient settings. SAMPLE 577 oncology nurses. METHODS Surveys were emailed to 5,000 members...

Toxicities commonly associated with antiangiogenic agents include hypertension, proteinuria, wound-healing complications, bleeding or hemorrhage, thromboembolic events, hypersensitivity reactions, and gastrointestinal perforation; however, toxicities most often attributed to chemotherapy include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, fatigue, neuropathy, mucositis, hand-foot syndrome, hypers...

New trends have emerged in treating patients with autoimmune diseases with medications traditionally used in oncology. This article will summarize a comprehensive literature review performed to identify effective chemotherapy and biotherapeutic agents for treating each of the main autoimmune subtypes (nervous, gastrointestinal, blood and blood vessel, skin, endocrine, and musculoskeletal system...

OBJECTIVE To determine what components of a checklist contribute to effective detection of medication errors at the bedside. DESIGN High-fidelity simulation study of outpatient chemotherapy administration. SETTING Usability laboratory. PARTICIPANTS Nurses from an outpatient chemotherapy unit, who used two different checklists to identify four categories of medication administration errors...

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To describe the biologic process of angiogenesis and the potential role of antiangiogenesis therapy in cancer treatment. DATA SOURCES Published articles, conference proceedings, and computerized databases. DATA SYNTHESIS Angiogenesis is the development of blood vessels. Antiangiogenic agents prevent the development of blood vessels, therefore preventing one mode of cancer...

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To review the literature related to chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis and highlight four empirically supported oral mucositis rating scales that oncology nurses can use. DATA SOURCES CINAHL and MEDLINE databases, published articles, and supplemental publications. DATA SYNTHESIS Various oral mucositis rating scales have been developed; however, a lack of consensus exists...

More accurate patient identification is a Joint Commission National Patient Safety Goal. To decrease the possibility of patient misidentification during chemotherapy administration, nurses on the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill instituted a bedside check and measured compliance.