chemo kills nurses?

**RosesrReder, BSN, MSN, RN** · Oct 5, 2005

I was at a meeting today with my coworkers... interviewing a potential new hire.... and we got off to talking about how they would never choose to enroll for the training opportunity to be a chemo nurse. One RN said that where she worked before, years ago, all of the chemo nurses ended up getting cancer and died from it to boot. Well, at the facility I work at you have the choice to either do pediatrics or chemo and I really do not want to do pediatrics. Can anyone share any experiences, thoughts or opinions on the dangers of giving chemotherapy?

Self-delete....................there is another poster roaming around

holikow · Oct 8, 2005

The only thing that kills a nurse while giving chemo is if that nurse opens the iv bag and drinks the stuff, and then not only 1L bag, but many. COME ON! where do these rumors start! chemo administration is safe, even safer when those administering it have been through a chemotherapy certified class training, follow protocal/policy/procedures of administration. Why is it the rumors are of nurse death? The nurses don't mix it, a pharmacist does. you'd think pharmacist would croak first! LOL LOL LOL

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Oct 8, 2005

The only thing that kills a nurse while giving chemo is if that nurse opens the iv bag and drinks the stuff, and then not only 1L bag, but many. COME ON! where do these rumors start! chemo administration is safe, even safer when those administering it have been through a chemotherapy certified class training, follow protocal/policy/procedures of administration. Why is it the rumors are of nurse death? The nurses don't mix it, a pharmacist does. you'd think pharmacist would croak first! LOL LOL LOL

Actually in some place, nurses do mix chemo.

And several decades ago prior to use of biohazard hoods and proper precautions, nurses did develop resistant cancers and anemia from giving chemo. Fetal birth defects and miscarriages also occurred. That is why training in proper precautions is essential to chemo administration...to prevent such problems.

One of the first chemo agents, developed from nitrogen mustard gas - used in chemical warfare - is so unstable, it must be prepared at bedside and administered immediately. As it is nearly impossible to do that in a manner that protects the care givers, the drug is no longer used.

These risks are not confined to chemo. The antiCMV drug Gangcyclovir is a major biohazard, capable of causing birth defects and cancer in those that handle it without proper precautions. Nurses that handled the drug in the early years of the AIDs crisis, without proper precautions have developed a high rate of certain cancers. As such the drug is handled with chemo precautions, though it is not chemo.

Proper training is essential to eliminating the dangers of handling these drugs.

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Please also note that nurses routinely handle IV antibiotics carelessly, repeatedly exposing themselves to the drugs. This promotes the development of ABX resistant diseases....which can endanger our lives and pur health

mstigerlily · Oct 8, 2005

Secondhand, but one of my clinical instructors told me she was a chemo nurse while pregnant with her 1st and 2nd children (now early 20's) and both had birth defects, the first a limb/eye anomoly, the 2nd mentally disabled. She said they often mixed chemo by hand back before the days of universal precautions so had to deal with mixing, spills, fumes, etc.

She went to regular med-surg soon after the birth of her 2nd and her 3rd was born without any anomoly. She says she has never been sure but always wondered if the chemo had anything to do with it.

Melissa

Actually in some place, nurses do mix chemo.
And several decades ago prior to use of biohazard hoods and proper precautions, nurses did develop resistant cancers and anemia from giving chemo. Fetal birth defects and miscarriages also occurred. That is why training in proper precautions is essential to chemo administration...to prevent such problems.
One of the first chemo agents, developed from nitrogen mustard gas - used in chemical warfare - is so unstable, it must be prepared at bedside and administered immediately. As it is nearly impossible to do that in a manner that protects the care givers, the drug is no longer used.
These risks are not confined to chemo. The antiCMV drug Gangcyclovir is a major biohazard, capable of causing birth defects and cancer in those that handle it without proper precautions. Nurses that handled the drug in the early years of the AIDs crisis, without proper precautions have developed a high rate of certain cancers. As such the drug is handled with chemo precautions, though it is not chemo.
Proper training is essential to eliminating the dangers of handling these drugs.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Please also note that nurses routinely handle IV antibiotics carelessly, repeatedly exposing themselves to the drugs. This promotes the development of ABX resistant diseases....which can endanger our lives and pur health

Deidre Shiobhan · Oct 8, 2005

Secondhand, but one of my clinical instructors told me she was a chemo nurse while pregnant with her 1st and 2nd children (now early 20's) and both had birth defects, the first a limb/eye anomoly, the 2nd mentally disabled. She said they often mixed chemo by hand back before the days of universal precautions so had to deal with mixing, spills, fumes, etc.
She went to regular med-surg soon after the birth of her 2nd and her 3rd was born without any anomoly. She says she has never been sure but always wondered if the chemo had anything to do with it.
Melissa

This scenario sounds familiar, I've come across some nurses who's given birth to abnormal babies while working in the chemo ward. Infact I've even nursed their babies before, a few of them died eventually. I don't know whether it's coincidental or not, one of the babies' parents are both nurses working in the chemo ward and I remember their baby didn't make it.

Personally I don't like to work in chemo ward especially the Paeds oncology - I hate to see young children suffering from cancer, it's very painful and depressing. :crying2: