title: Exploring the work of nurses who administer chemotherapy to children and young people.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of nurses who administer chemotherapy to children and young people.
  
  
  METHODS
  A national postal survey of nurses working within the 21 cancer centres in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The questionnaire included 25-items addressing the attitudes, beliefs and concerns regarding nurses' roles, support mechanisms and educational preparation related to administration of chemotherapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total 286/507 (56%) questionnaires were returned. The majority of nurses worked in inpatient +/-outpatient (78%) settings and most gave chemotherapy on a daily basis (61%). The median time working in oncology was 10 [range 0.5-32] years and time administering chemotherapy was 8 [0.1-32] years. Aspects of administration that caused the most worry included treatment side-effects, extravasation, dealing with allergic/anaphylactic reactions and knowledge deficits in colleagues. There was no significant difference in worry according to level of nurse education but those with an oncology qualification had less Knowledge-related worry (p = 0.05). There was no difference in attitude according to level of education or having an oncology qualification. There were significant correlations between time qualified, time working in oncology and the number of years administering chemotherapy and the worry domains (ranging from r = -0.14 to r = -0.24, p < 0.05); and attitude to chemotherapy (ranging from r = 0.12 to r = 0.26, p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As anticipated nurses new to chemotherapy administration were initially anxious about the role and they worried about making a drug error. Education and support from colleagues appears to have a positive effect on reducing worry and increasing competence.
authors.affiliation: Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust, London, UK. faith.gibson@gosh.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Faith
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gibson
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shipway
authors.forename: Susie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aldiss
authors.forename: Jeanette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hawkins
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Parr
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ridout
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Verity
authors.forename: Rachel M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002983:Clinical Competence; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007494:Ireland; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000451:nursing*; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology*; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology*; D009859:Oncology Nursing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D020377:Self Efficacy; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom