Receiving information about treatment-related side effects is a high priority for patients receiving chemotherapy. Infusion nurses typically assume responsibility for teaching patients how to manage treatment-related side effects, but providing reliable and equitable information across visits and across different infusion centers can present a problem. Implementing a standardized, patient-centered, departure encounter checklist can help ensure that nurses consistently provide patients with targeted, timely, and regimen-specific information about treatment-related side effects.
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A nursing quality consortium standardized nursing practice across 17 independently functioning ambulatory oncology sites. Programs were developed to validate both competences and competencies. One program assessed nine competences needed to develop systems of care to detect and treat treatment-related side effects. A second program was developed to assess competencies needed to prevent harm to oncology patients. This manuscript describes a successful approach to standardizing nursing practice across geographically distant academic and community sites.

Exposure to chemotherapy is a daily risk for nurses in oncology infusion centers. Although significant advances have been made in developing systems to make IV administration of antineoplastic agents safer, less attention has been given to developing systems to minimize exposure risk during instillation of intravesical chemotherapy. This article describes the use of a closed system developed at a comprehensive cancer center and compares it to two closed systems reported in the literature. At a Glance • Safe handling of biohazard medications is important for all healthcare workers involved in the administration of antineoplastic agents. • Nurses need to advocate for use of chemotherapy administration systems that minimize exposure to staff and patients. • Infrequently performed procedures need to be supported by clearly specified procedural steps that are readily accessible to the nurse.

Workplace fatigue is common among occupations that have prolonged work hours, rotating shifts, night-time work hours, inadequate time for rest during work, and insufficient time for recovery between shifts. Available evidence suggests that workplace fatigue poses a substantial threat to patient safety and contributes to worker injury and decreased vigilance. However, little is known about workplace fatigue among nursing personnel working in institutions dedicated solely to the care of patients with cancer. This study describes the scope and severity of workplace fatigue among nursing personnel working in the inpatient and ambulatory care divisions of a comprehensive cancer center.

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