Knowledge and Attitude about Exposure to Cytotoxic Drugs in Oncology Nurses

One of the most common hazards among the nurses is exposure to harmful chemicals. Cytotoxic drugs are among highly hazardous substances in the healthcare centers that can lead to DNA damage and cancer development. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the knowledge and attitude of nurses working in the oncology departments of Tehran hospitals regarding the risks and safety measures related to handling of cytotoxic drugs. In this cross-sectional study to develop an instrument, a questionnaire on knowledge and attitude regarding exposure to cytotoxic drugs was translated into Persian language and its validity and reliability evaluated and confirmed. The questionnaire was administered to 111 nurses working in 10 oncology departments (eight hospitals of Tehran) selected by random multistage sampling. For instrument validation, CVI and Cronbach's alpha were used. Descriptive analyses were done to analyze field work data. In this study, 22 men (19.8%) and 89 women (80.2%) participated. The mean age of participants was 33.6 (SD 8.6) years. Only 45% of participants constantly used gloves when handling drugs. Results indicated that 54.1% of participants had accidental exposure to cytotoxic drugs, 22.5% of who reported their exposure as being acute. Only 12.6% of participants reported that their efforts to reduce the risks of exposure as effective. At least 84.4% of the nurses had been trained in the handling of cytotoxic drugs, 54% of whom reported that the training was not effective. While confirming the reliability and validity of the instrument, this study showed that the training on improving the safety of the personnel is ineffective and insufficient, and most staff are at risk of direct and indirect exposure to cytotoxic drugs. Further the immunization of the workplace and the preparation and proclamation of safety and health protocols for handling of these drugs or attending their storage places can be beneficial.