Outpt Infusion Clinic and PPE

[nursie_pants]

Hi All:

It has been a bunch of years since I was last on allnurses.com but I have a burning question/survey type thing I was hoping to get all your input on.

I have worked in the last 4 years in a private, stand-alone (no hospital affiliation) outpatient oncology clinic. We are part of McKesson/US Oncology network. Anyway, the PPE and hazardous drug protocols seem to be *extremely* lax: no double gloving, reusing gowns x 1 week, no eye masks that I've ever even seen, gloves hit at the wrist (not further up the arm), the repeated reuse of plastic chemo bags that the spiked bags/tubing are stored in between admixing and hanging at chairside). I worked for about 1.5 years prior inpatient med onc and it was very different.

I really love my job and my coworkers. I'm part-time and it's gotten me through my 2 pregnancies and a transition into a new city. Some of my coworkers are nearing retirement and have been doing this forever. I don't want to step on toes or stick out like a sore thumb but I would like to try make some safer changes. However, we do have a new nurse manager and she is very open and has been implementing some good changes lately.

Your thoughts? I am presenting at a staff meeting next month. Thus far, I'm using ONS's paper (https://www.ons.org/practice-resources/clinical-practice/know-most-current-recommendations-ppe-when-handling-hazardous), NIOSH (CDC - NIOSH Publications and Products - Preventing Occupational Exposure to Antineoplastic and Other Hazardous Drugs in Health Care Settings (2004-165)), and other resources.

Thanks!