Congress Abstracts 2006

71

IMPLEMENTATION OF AN ONCOLOGY CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSE FOR NURSES IN NICARAGUA. Mary Ann Yancey, RN, MSN, AOCN^®, Shady Grove Adventist Hospital, Rockville, MD.

Many Nicaraguan nurses lack necessary information needed when caring for patients receiving chemotherapy. They have not received education regarding safe handling or administration of chemotherapy. They also lack the information and resources to properly inform their patients about the potential side effects of chemotherapy and management of those side effects.

In an effort to improve understanding among Nicaraguan nurses caring for cancer patients, an inexpensive educational program was developed. This education program, funded by a generous grant from the ONS foundation, consists of a DVD demonstrating safe handling and administration of chemotherapy, a binder providing an overview of potential side effects of chemotherapy as well as management of side effects and a lecture reinforcing those materials, all in Spanish.

In January 2005 twenty-nine Nicaraguan nurses from three hospitals and one school of nursing took part in a one-day class. At the beginning of the class, the nurses took a 30 question test that included questions related to safety in the handling and administration of chemotherapy, as well as potential side effects of chemotherapy. After completing the test, a 30-minute instructional video was shown regarding safe handling and administration of chemotherapy. A review of potential side effects of chemotherapy, management of side effects, and case studies was provided. The nurses then took a post-test, which consisted of the same 30 questions as the pre-test.

The nurses showed a highly significant improvement in their understanding of administration and side effects of chemotherapy. The difference between the pre-test and post-test results demonstrated a 54% improvement in the lowest score, a 7 % improvement of the highest score, with a mean improvement of 24%.

Evidence supports that Nicaraguan nurse's lack necessary information needed when caring for patients receiving chemotherapy. Oncology nurses in the United States have the ability to assist oncology nurses in Nicaragua (and possibly other developing countries) by providing the necessary information on safe handling and patient education related to chemotherapy. The educational program developed was clearly successful in improving Nicaraguan nurse's knowledge about chemotherapy.