Oncology nurses' knowledge and practice behaviors of chemotherapy protection in thirdgrade class-A hospitals

Objective To investigate the knowledge and practice behaviors of chemotherapy protection of nurses in department of oncology, provide evidence for effective self-protection education and training, and improve occupational health. Methods In May 2016, self-designed questionnaires were administered to a total of 129 nurses in our Training base who came from third-grade class-A hospitals, and their knowledge of chemotherapy drugs and self protection ability were investigated. Results This study revealed that the mean knowledge score in these oncology nurses was 21.09±4.34, and the mean practice behavior score was 41.20±9.38, which indicated that their knowledge was adequate, but protection skills still needed to be improved. There was a positive correlation between knowledge and practice behavior of chemotherapy protection (r=0.32, P< 0.05). Conclusion This study documents the current state of oncology nurses' knowledge and practice. The results support the need for enhancing training of self protection skills to chemotherapy for oncology nurses.