Cytotoxic agents have been associated with major concerns among oncology nurses and could result in nurses' exposure to these drugs and consequent side effects. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of cytotoxic drugs safety guidelines on knowledge, safe handling practices and attitude of oncology nurses through the following: (1) Assessment of knowledge, handling practices and attitude of oncology nurses toward cytotoxic drugs. (2) Developing and implementing cytotoxic drugs safety guidelines. (3) Evaluating the effect of cytotoxic drugs safe-handling guidelines on knowledge, handling practices and attitude of oncology nurses. ( A quasiexperimental design was utilized to conduct this study. The study was conducted at the cancer center affiliated to Ain Shams University Hospitals, Egypt. A purposive sample of 65 nurses who are working in the cancer center and handling cytotoxic drugs was included in the study. Data collection tools: (1) A self-administered nurses' knowledge assessment questionnaire regarding cytotoxic anticancer drugs and its safe handling precautions. (2) Nurses' cytotoxic drugs safe handling practices observational checklist. ( ( There were highly statistically significant differences between mean scores of the pre and post guidelines intervention of nurses' knowledge, practices and attitude regarding safe handling of cytotoxic drugs. Conclusion: Implementation of the cytotoxic drugs safe-handling guidelines has positive effect on improving the knowledge, practice and attitude of oncology nurses working in the cancer center affiliated to Ain Shams University Hospital. Recommendations: Conducting periodic in-services training program for oncology nurses handling cytotoxic drugs in the cancer center to improve safety handling measures and reduce risk exposure.
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Mahdy et al. (2017) studied this question.