Background: Cancer is the third leading cause of death in Iran. Novel chemotherapeutic agents can lead to considerable improvements in cancer treatment, although using these agents requires special skills and experiences. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a short course education on nurses’ knowledge and attitude. Methods: Overall, 24 nurses participated in this short educatio...

Objective The objective of this study was to describe the perspectives and experiences of South African nurses caring for patients receiving palliative chemotherapy. Methods A qualitative descriptive design was used and purposive sampling allowed us to select 11 nurses practising in a private ambulatory cancer care center in Port Elizabeth. In-depth interviews, guided by three broad themes we...

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To review and determine the applicability of the 2006 National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) clinical practice guidelines for the use of myeloid growth factors in adult patients treated with chemotherapy for solid tumors and nonmyeloid malignancies. DATA SOURCES Published guidelines, original research, review articles, and conference presentations. DATA SYNTHESIS Ch...

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES To assist clinical nurses in understanding the complex nature of chemotherapy-induced hypersensitivity reactions as well as effectively preventing or managing these reactions. DATA SOURCES Published articles and abstracts, pertinent book chapters, computerized databases. DATA SYNTHESIS Most available chemotherapy drugs can cause hypersensitivity reactions, but certain dru...

Chemotherapy-induced febrile neutropenia (FN) predisposes patients to life-threatening infections and typically requires hospitalization. The goal was to investigate whether a risk assessment tool aligned with national guidelines could help identify patients at risk of FN and reduce FN-related hospitalizations. Beginning in October 2004, oncology nurses applied the new risk assessment tool to a...

Chemotherapy education at a mid-sized community hospital was redesigned to help novice oncology nurses improve patient safety and their own practice by implementing error prevention techniques during chemotherapy administration. Using a proactive approach with multidisciplinary participation and open communication, a systems analysis was conducted to identify potential chemotherapy errors. Then...

The information related to health risks to foetuses due to the handling of chemotherapeutic agents by nurses during pregnancy is limited. The risks involved can be reduced significantly if nurses adhere to standard safety precautions while handling cytotoxic drugs. Nurses in patient areas where chemotherapy is administered are at constant low-level risk of exposure. The authors tried to gather ...

Oncology nurses increasingly are being asked about medication insurance coverage for oral chemotherapy agents and other medications. In small clinic and office settings, nurses often are key providers of this information. Nurses need to be informed about Medicare's medication reimbursement guidelines and able to identify resources for patients. Resources may include pharmaceutical manufacturers...

Medication errors in chemotherapy occur frequently and have a high potential to cause considerable harm. IV infusion errors, which usually involve high-risk medications delivered directly into the patient's bloodstream, have been identified as having the greatest potential for harm. IV infusion programming errors have a greater likelihood of causing injury or death. Nurses must strive to keep p...

Nurses are critical to the physical management and psychological support of patients undergoing chemotherapy, which is a vulnerable time for many. This article presents the results of a qualitative study intended to explore the experience of Japanese patients with breast cancer during chemotherapy, including the finding that participants created personal safety nets in physical, emotional, and ...