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- Title
IMPLEMENTING AN ANTINEOPLASTIC HYPERSENSITIVITY PROTOCOL: A NURSING PERSPECTIVE.
- Authors
Williams, Carol; Phillips, Shannon
- Abstract
Many cancer patients receive medications that have the potential to cause hypersensitivity or anaphylactic reactions, specifically certain chemotherapy and biotherapy agents. Efficiently managing these reactions is critical to the prevention of patient injury or death. This management can be accomplished by providing nurses with a protocol containing specific drug information, standing orders, and a kit containing emergency medications and supplies. The purpose of this project was to evaluate nursing staff knowledge about, use of, and satisfaction with a protocol to manage hypersensitivity/anaphylactic reactions to antineoplastic agents. The protocol, which includes a requirement to enter an event report for tracking purposes, was developed by pharmacy and approved by the medical and nursing leadership of a large outpatient cancer treatment center in Western New York/Finger Lakes Region. Data was obtained from nursing staff via an anonymous self report survey. Response rate was 100% (N=18). Questions included knowledge of protocol, use of protocol in the last 6 months, and perceptions of change in practice since implementation of the protocol. Additionally, event reports for all hypersensitivity/anaphylactic reactions were reviewed in the six months since protocol implementation (N=26); agents were 38% rituximab, 35% taxanes, and 27% others. The majority of nurses (67%) reported having read the protocol and knew the location of the protocol and kit. The majority of nurses (89%) reported that the protocol allows for faster administration of emergency treatments, has increased their awareness of potential for reaction (72%), and has increased their comfort level with administering chemotherapy/biotherapy (77%). Twelve nurses (67%) reported caring for a patient with a reaction in the past six months, 11 acknowledged using the protocol and 10 entered an event report. Survey findings indicate the nursing staff are satisfied with the protocol and report a positive impact on their practice. Staff use of the protocol and the generation of an event report needs to be increased to 100% of the time when a patient experiences a reaction. Overall, implementation of the protocol has been successful, and further education will be provided based on project results.
- Subjects
NEW York (State), Western; ANTINEOPLASTIC agents; DRUG side effects; CANCER patients; ONCOLOGY nursing; CANCER hospitals; NURSES
- Publication
Oncology Nursing Forum, 2007, Vol 34, Issue 2, p476
- ISSN
0190-535X
- Publication type
Article