Chemotherapy Health Hazards among Oncology Nurses and Its Possible Relation to Malpractice and Workplace Environment

Abstract

Context: Chemotherapeutic drugs are chemical substances used for cancer treatment and are known to be carcinogenic, teratogenic, and mutagenic to humans. Occupational exposure to chemotherapeutic drugs has led to higher health hazards among nurses who handle them. Aim: Assess chemotherapy health hazards among oncology nurses and their possible relation to malpractice and the workplace environment.

Method: A descriptive and exploratory research design was used in the present study. All available nurses from both sexes working in the chemotherapy department comprised 50 nurses with one year of experience. The study was conducted at Oncology Center in Minia City, Egypt, in the outpatient and inpatient chemotherapy department. Three tools were used to collect the study data. An interview structured questionnaire for nurses was designed to assess the studied nurses' socio-demographic characteristics and medical history. The second tool is nursing practice observation checklists to assess safe practice in chemotherapy handling. The third tool was environmental safety checklists to assess workplace environmental safety.

Results: The main results of this study clarified that about half of the study sample (48%) complained of health hazards presented as skin irritation/allergy, chest allergy, and inflammation of eyes (45.8%, 16.7%, 37.5%, respectively). Maternal hazards presented mainly as irregular menstrual bleeding (50%), menorrhagia, and abortion (33.3%). Decrease environmental safety presented mainly as absence of biological safety cabinet, specific personal protective equipment (PPE), safe handling chemotherapy guidelines. Along with certain nurses' malpractice as most of the study sample (74%) has poor practice scores in handling chemotherapy.

Conclusion: This study indicated the presence of general and maternal health hazards among nurses handling chemotherapy in the form of general and maternal health hazards. The study also clarified nurses' malpractice among about three-fourths of nurses and provided evidence of an unsafe environment. The results strengthened the increased need to improve nurses' knowledge and practice regarding chemotherapy handling and the provision of needed equipment/supplies to underpin safe and effective practice in this area.