Clin J Oncol Nurs

Background:Hazardous drug exposures are a key occupational health hazard to oncology nurses. Sparse data are available regarding the frequency and characteristics of hazardous drug spills to inform clinical practice improvement.Objective:To describe nurses\u2019 hazardous drug exposures and use of personal protective equipment during drug spills.Methods:The Drug Exposure Feedback and Education for Nurses\u2019 Safety study launched in March 2015. When drug spills occurred, consented registered nurses administering chemotherapy in ambulatory infusion settings completed brief questionnaires to describe the spill event, protective equipment worn during the spill, and spill containment efforts. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize equipment use and spill events.Findings:Spills were common, despite the use of closed system transfer devices. Over 24 months, 51 nurses from twelve participating academic infusion centers reported 61 unique spills. Spilled drug volumes ranged from 1 to 250 mLs. Spills commonly involved highly toxic drugs, including paclitaxel (20% of spills), gemcitabine (15%), and anthracyclines (13%). Personal protective equipment use during drug spills is suboptimal; nurses reported wearing disposable gowns (65% of the time), double gloves (52%), single gloves (41%), respirators (28%), and eye shields (26%). Practicing nurses, clinical leaders, and policymakers must address these practice gaps through concerted education, support, and policy changes.R01 OH010582/OH/NIOSH CDC HHS/United StatesR01OH010582/ACL/ACL HHS/United StatesT42 OH008455/OH/NIOSH CDC HHS/United States2021-06-01T00:00:00Z32441682PMC72719747791vault:3557