Nurses' protective measures during chemotherapy preparation and administration in Turkey*

Abstract

Chemotherapeutic agents are known to be carcinogenic, teratogenic and mutagenic to humans. Occupational exposure to chemotherapeutic agents is a potential risk. The aim of this study was to determine the safety measures on personal and environmental protection taken by nurses during chemotherapy preparation and administration. Current study was conducted between 1 April and 30 June 2007 in the chemotherapy administration units of all hospitals in Samsun, North of the Turkey. Seventy-three nurses were included in the study group. Data were obtained via questionnaire form. Findings for nurses' safety behaviour and usage of recommended health safety measures showed that, notwithstanding the rules and regulations pertaining to chemotherapeutics, nurses did not comply with them fully. The study expanded that health providers and clinical environment are under threat for contamination of chemotherapeutics. The results clearly point the importance of need for regular education programme. This study also revealed the necessity for improvement of the working environment.

Observance of preventive standards against COVID-19 transmission in operating rooms: A cross-sectional study

“…The results showed that nurses did not believe much in using these protective devices to prevent side effects from contact with chemotherapy drugs, and many of them reported that they did not fully adhere to these rules despite the existence of serious rules and regulations in this area. 21 This result is consistent with that of the present study as it shows that if people perceive and believe in the importance of a preventive measure, it can act as a protective measure and encourage people to pay attention to this issue and the need to observe protective measures to prevent its occurrence. However, if a person does not perceive the importance and seriousness of the issue, they may not show much interest in using them even if all the necessary facilities and protective measures are available.…”

Health Hazards, Occupational Safety Measures and Knowledge Assessment among Nurses Exposed to Chemotherapy Drugs in Ain Shams University Hospitals, Egypt

“…With respect to receiving previous training, the current study showed that ( 57.5 %) of studied nurses received training courses about safe handling of CDs; however, the majority (76.2%) reported that these courses were given once and were insufficient and almost all the participants showed their intense desire to have such courses on regular basis ( Table 3). The result of this study is in agreement to that of Rizalar et al, (2012) who stated that about half of their study nurses had undergone specialized training for handling and administrating CDs; however, in contrast to this study, a previous Egyptian study reported that only few nurses had attended such programs (Mohsen and Fareed, 2013).…”

Predictors of Chemotherapy Safe-Handling Precautions and Knowledge Among a Sample of Jordanian Oncology Nurses: A Model-Building Approach

“…Younger nurses with fewer years of experience were more likely to use safety measures than older nurses with more years of experience. The relationship between participants’ age, years of experience, and safe-handling precautions is inconsistent in the literature (Callahan et al, 2016; Polovich & Clark, 2012; Rizalar et al, 2012). Lack of experience can increase risk for unnecessary exposure of cytotoxic drugs and contribute to the nurses’ safety (Rizalar et al, 2012).…”

“…The relationship between participants’ age, years of experience, and safe-handling precautions is inconsistent in the literature (Callahan et al, 2016; Polovich & Clark, 2012; Rizalar et al, 2012). Lack of experience can increase risk for unnecessary exposure of cytotoxic drugs and contribute to the nurses’ safety (Rizalar et al, 2012). Our results support the previous results and are consistent with Martin’s (2006) study and indicated that age and years of experience for the oncology nurses were significant predictors for safe-handling precautions.…”

“…This finding suggests a gap between current nurses’ practices and the evidence-based guidelines by ONS and ASCO. Continued education and evaluation of their knowledge and competencies may help to prevent or minimize unnecessary exposure to these hazards (Hon et al, 2015; Meade, 2014; Rizalar et al, 2012).…”