Exposure to Chemo

So long as you're wearing the correct PPE and following protocol, how are you being exposed to anything? Unless you're working in a laminar flow hood actually compounding these medications (and even then you wear PPE), your exposure should be virtually nill.

The way I understand it from OSHA is even if you have PPE's they don't know the long term effects of spending that much time with antineoplastic drugs.

No, because I do not intend on having children.

What precautions and protocols do you guys follow? What PPEs do you wear? Masks and goggles? Do you double flush toilets? Where masks? Double glove? Are there signs on doors for when patients' have received chemo within 48 hours?

I'm curious, too. I'm 26 and plan on having children in a few years.

My workplace follows the ONS guidelines. I wouldn't worry about miscarriages since my unit had about 15 pregnancies last year. We double glove, and wear chemo gowns when hanging; place chemo precautions for until 48 hours post chemo, and chux on over the toilet when flushing. Our employee health is pretty good at following up when its time for our yearly screenings.

We followed ONS guideline where I worked in OP oncology. My understanding is that the risk for pharmacists who work under the ventilation hood is greater than nurses administering meds.

If the Pharmacist is compounding the chemotherapy drug appropriately, they should be using a vertical laminar flow hood with appropriate PPE (gown, double gloves, and mask) which would virtually minimize the risk of exposure with proper technique.

What are the ONS guidelines? Or where can I find them? Do they apply to pediatric oncology nurses too or does APHON have their own standards?

What are the ONS guidelines? Or where can I find them? Do they apply to pediatric oncology nurses too or does APHON have their own standards?

ONS guidelines are on the ONS website. Pediatric oncology nurses follow APHON guidelines.

All of the other comments pretty much cover what I was going to say. So on a random note: the one thing that has always irked me about hospitals, especially mine, is why a dedicated oncology unit doesn't have toilet lids. It feels so Macgyver-ish to have to put a towel or chux over the toilet.