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Oncology

Taking steps to protect cancer nurses from exposure to hazardous drugs

25 May 2023

Meeting Report

02 May 2023

Volume 32 · Issue 10

ISSN (print): 0966-0461

ISSN (online): 2052-2819

Abstract

Freelance medical writer Christine Clark (chris@salt.u-net.com) reports on an online meeting held in March 2023 as part of a series on the risks of exposure to hazardous drugs for nurses working in oncology

The fourth webinar discussing the results of research into the risks to nurses of occupational exposure to hazardous drugs and the protective role of closed system transfer devices (CSTDs) was held on 30 March 2023. The webinar was organised by Aesculap Academia, the educational arm of B Braun Medical Ltd. The earlier webinars in this series, held in November 2020 and April 2021, were reported in previous BJN oncology supplements (Clark, 2021a; 2021b; 2022).

Opening the meeting the chair, Naomi Clatworthy (Acute Oncology Nurse Consultant, Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust) commented that previous meetings in this series generated excellent feedback. Some 500 people took part in this webinar and an audience poll at the start showed that 54% of respondents were ‘very concerned’ about the health effects of hazardous drugs.

‘Biologically important exposure [to hazardous drugs] is occurring in the oncology work setting’, Dr Melissa McDiarmid (Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine) told the audience.

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