Hi fellow onc nurses! I've been working in outpatient chemo infusion for about a year now but I admit I still get nervous every time I get a new patient! I just can't seem to get my chemo teaching spiel down. Any advice? What are your main teaching points? Sometimes I struggle because I don't want to overwhelm them by giving too much information, especially patients who are super anxious. But then I always worry that I've left something out. I print out the chemo pamphlets on each drug and review them and as far as general teaching i always cover infection prevention (hand washing, no raw fish/meet, wash fresh fruits and veggies, avoid sick people, etc; also...what do you tell them when the ask if they should wear a mask in public?), bleeding precautions, importance of hydration and nutrition, control of side effects (diarrhea, constipation, neuropathy, etc). I also usually tell them that the steroid may keep them up and cause blood sugar spikes if they're diabetic.
Would love to hear your thoughts! Thanks so much!!
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Hi fellow onc nurses! I've been working in outpatient chemo infusion for about a year now but I admit I still get nervous every time I get a new patient! I just can't seem to get my chemo teaching spiel down. Any advice? What are your main teaching points? Sometimes I struggle because I don't want to overwhelm them by giving too much information, especially patients who are super anxious. But then I always worry that I've left something out. I print out the chemo pamphlets on each drug and review them and as far as general teaching i always cover infection prevention (hand washing, no raw fish/meet, wash fresh fruits and veggies, avoid sick people, etc; also...what do you tell them when the ask if they should wear a mask in public?), bleeding precautions, importance of hydration and nutrition, control of side effects (diarrhea, constipation, neuropathy, etc). I also usually tell them that the steroid may keep them up and cause blood sugar spikes if they're diabetic.
Would love to hear your thoughts! Thanks so much!!