A hospital-based chemotherapy education and training program.
Impatient chemotherapy administered by nurses from the outpatient setting causes fragmentation of care by impeding the primary nursing model. The inpatient oncology nursing staff, highly motivated to expand their knowledge base for cancer patient care, expressed interest in chemotherapy administration. In a collaborative effort among the oncology clinical nurse specialist, nurse educator, and nurse manager, a program was designed based on The Oncology Nursing Society Cancer Chemotherapy Guidelines and Recommendations for Nursing Education and responses from an education-needs assessment survey. The program consists of a theoretical and a practical component. This article will describe the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the Chemotherapy Certification Program at St. Elizabeth's Hospital.