Promoting Adherence to Chemotherapy Handling Guidelines Among Oncology Nurses

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Chemotherapy exposure is a serious occupational hazard affecting oncology nurses. It could lead to infertility,
fetal anomalies, and cancer. Chemotherapy exposure occurs by the direct contact with chemotherapy drugs
through dermal absorption, inhalation, ingestion, or injection. Oncology nurses’ adherence to chemotherapy
handling guidelines is essential to prevent their exposure to chemotherapy. Unfortunately, oncology nurses’
adherence to these guidelines is suboptimal. The goal of the research in this application is to develop, validate,
and pilot test a novel “Workplace program to Improve Safe Handling of hazardous drugs” (WISH) intervention
to promote adherence to chemotherapy handling guidelines among oncology nurses. The WISH intervention
includes two components: 1) an educational component and 2) debriefing sessions on chemotherapy exposure
incidents. The first specific aim in this research is to develop and validate the WISH intervention using a mixed-
method approach. In this aim, Dr. Abu-Alhaija and her research team will: 1) develop an online educational
component on chemotherapy safety, 2) establish the content validity of the educational content based on
experts’ evaluation, and 3) establish the face validity of the educational component and determine other
intervention features (frequency, duration) by conducting 3 focus groups with oncology nurses (n=4-6 nurses
per group). The second aim is to test the feasibility and acceptability of the WISH intervention using a pilot
randomized controlled trial with two groups of oncology nurses; an intervention group (n= 30) and a control
group (n=30). This research will use The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
r2p approach by involving nurses in developing the intervention and planning the study activities in a way that
fits nurses’ work schedules and preferences. The immediate output from this research is an intervention that
can be implemented by healthcare institutions to increase nurses’ adherence to chemotherapy handling
guidelines. The short-term outcome is promoting the adherence to chemotherapy handling guidelines among
oncology nurses. The long-term outcome is improving the health and wellbeing for nurses and healthcare
workers. This research meets the current NIOSH priority strategic goal for research focuses on reducing
occupational cancer, cardiovascular disease, adverse reproductive outcomes, and other chronic
diseases, and the intermediate goal 1.3E: adherence to safe handling of hazardous drug guidance aimed
at preventing reproductive problems resulting from the inadequate adherence to safe handling guidelines.
Additionally, this study is very relevant to National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) for Healthcare and
Social Assistance sector, in which preventing occupational exposure to hazardous substances was identified
as a research priority. Plus, this research is pertinent to the Cancer, Reproductive, Cardiovascular, and
Other Chronic Disease Prevention Program cross-sector, as it aims to protect nurses from chemotherapy
exposure complications such as cancer, reproductive problems, and other chronic conditions.

Grant Number: 5K01OH012671-02
NIH Institute/Center: ALLCDC
Principal Investigator: Dania Abu-Alhaija