Educating Oncology Nurses with Simulation: A Chemotherapy Spill

Abstract

<p>The purpose of the QI project was to determine if the use of a simulated chemotherapy spill increased the competencies and confidence of oncology nurses employed on an inpatient chemotherapy unit. An educational QI design was utilized including a confidential voluntary pre and post intervention survey. The simulations were held on a 25 bed oncology unit. Twenty-nine RNs participated. The simulation objective was to locate and follow the current hospital policy, the MSDS for the particular drug and clean up the simulated spill based on the current policy. Twelve simulations were conducted. Only 20.6% of RNs had been previously exposed to a chemotherapy spill. More than half of RNs felt the simulation resembled real life and all felt that the simulation very much or somewhat prepared them to handle a chemotherapy spill. The results of the comparable questions were all statistically significant (P = <0.001) and suggest that the simulation did increase the nurses’ awareness of and comfort in locating the current hospital policy and MSDS. RN’s reported increased knowledge of the contents within a chemotherapy spill kit and an increase in feeling prepared to deal with a spill in the future. An unintentional finding revealed omissions and discrepancies in the current policy. Future research to include larger cohorts in multiple oncology settings is needed to support educating nurses with simulation. Simulation may also be useful in creating, reviewing and revising policies.</p>