ONS Offers Resources for Safe Handling of Chemotherapy

Wednesday, September 07, 2011

Chemotherapy is increasingly being administered by oncology nurses in outpatient clinics. Unintentional exposure to hazardous agents such as chemotherapy may endanger the lives of healthcare workers. A new study (Friese et al., BMJ Quality and Safety, 2011) revealed that 17% of oncology nurses who work in outpatient chemotherapy infusion centers have had their skin or eyes exposed to the hazardous drugs  they handle. Evidence-based safe handling guidelines are critical to protect healthcare professionals who handle these drugs. The Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) offers resources designed to educate nurses on safe handling procedures.

“ONS encourages nurses who handle hazardous drugs to examine their work environment to be aware of activities that might result in hazardous drug exposure and to follow the guidelines outlined in ONS’s Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs,”  said ONS president Carlton Brown, RN, PhD, AOCN^®. This publication is based on recommendations of ONS, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and American Society of Health-System Pharmacists.

The following safe handling resources are available through ONS.

• Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs, 2^nd Ed. (2011, M. Polovich, ed.) http://esource.ons.org/ProductDetails.aspx?sku=INPU0602
• Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs Online Course http://www.ons.org/CourseDetail.aspx?course_id=24
• Chemotherapy and Biotherapy Guidelines and Recommendations for Practice (3rd ed.) (2009, M. Polovich et al., ed.) http://esource.ons.org/ProductDetails.aspx?sku=INPU0590
• ONS Chemotherapy and Biotherapy Course http://www.ons.org/CNECentral/Chemo/Main
• Treatment Basics: Antineoplastic Therapy in the Non-Oncology Setting http://www.ons.org/CNECentral/Chemo/TreatmentBasics

ONS is a professional organization of more than 35,000 registered nurses and other healthcare professionals committed to excellence in oncology nursing and to leading the transformation of cancer care by initiating and actively supporting educational, legislative, and public-awareness efforts to improve the care of people with cancer. ONS provides nurses and healthcare professionals with access to the highest quality educational programs, cancer-care resources, research opportunities, and networks for peer support. Learn more at www.ons.org.

-XXX-