Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs

As an oncology nurse, you have a daily responsibility for preparing and administering drugs used in the treatment of cancer. These hazardous drugs can alter DNA or affect other intracellular processes that interfere with cancer cell growth. For patients with cancer, the benefits of treatment generally outweigh the risks, but as a healthcare worker, you should take every precaution to avoid exposure to these hazardous drugs you handle.

The third edition of Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs provides nurses with the latest details and procedures needed to keep safe in the workplace. You’ll find new chapters on post-administration issues, linen handling, disposal of hazardous drugs and hazardous drug waste, and the hazardous drug handling policy landscape. In addition to these new sections, each chapter includes key points to help highlight the most important information for nurses dealing with hazardous drugs.

Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs is based on the recommendations of NIOSH, OSHA, ONS, the American Society of HealthSystem Pharmacists (ASHP), and USP. This essential guide is designed to help you translate safe handling recommendations into your daily practice as you handle HDs in the delivery of care to patients.

Nurse managers, nurse administrators, and nurses responsible for employee health and wellness also may find this content useful. You can use this new edition to critically examine your workplace and work practices to identify activities that might result in HD exposure, and to enact change in practices that put yourself and your colleagues at risk.