PPE for empty chemo bags?

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Wondering what others wear for taking down empty chemo bags and tubing at the end of treatment, after saline bag has flushed and you are getting ready to dc. I am especially interested in RNs that also use Phas-seal (contained locking system preventing chemo spills/aerosols). Do you fully gown, eye shields and gloves? Just gloves?

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Neuro, Ortho, Med/Surg, Travele.

You basically have to follow your facilities protocalls. It's called CYA. In the hospitals I have worked, we had to be fully gowned and gloved but in the clinic we just wore special gloves. Better safe and sorry is my motto. Check with your facility and go from there. It will be better for you in the long run.

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CYA is a great policy in itself :D And of course making sure that we as nurses are safe is top priority. Since I have input on making and changing policies as needed, I am wondering what other facilities do. Thanks for your replies.

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Specializes in Oncology.

I work in a big Cancer Hospital. The policy was just changed and we are now required to wear gown and gloves to put up and take down chemo. I think its a great change and that there should be universal practice that every facility follows.:nurse:

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Specializes in Oncology.

Gown and our chemo gloves.

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One the topic of PPE, I work in an out patient infusion area and we wear chemo gloves for mixing, handling and administration and our Program Director is really starting to push the idea of wearing gown, gloves mask and glassesfor everything. They wear it all at the hospital on the oncology unit but we have not done it up to this point. I know that it is coming down the pike and it will become a standard but we also wear street clothes. We have tried to create an atmosphere of comfort and ease and I think it would take away from that to come out in full PPE. PPE is just thatPersonal Protective Equiment. So, what do other areas do out there?

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Specializes in Peds Heme/Onc.

Our hosptial we are recommended to use gown and chemo gloves, however it is only required for us to wear chemo gloves. We only wear the chemo gloves or for those of us that are allergic to the latex in them we double glove with regular gloves.

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Specializes in Home IV infusion.

Hi-

I just started working outpatient oncology infusion, rotating between three sites. In all three, the nurses just use gloves to take down chemo infusions. In one, a pharmacy assistant prepares all chemos under the hood with full PPE. In the other two, the nurse prepares all chemos using standard gloves alone. When I asked for special gloves, mask, gown and goggles, they couldn't find any.

justdeda

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Specializes in Telemetry, Oncology, Progressive Care.

We use Phaseal at my hospital. I am not convinced they are offering the proper protection they are suppose to. We have had more chemo spills with them than we normally do. They are supposed to be fixing them. We do not use chemo gloves but do use gloves that they state are chemo safe. We have special chemo gowns that are extremely hot. All chemo comes up from pharmacy mixed and then is placed in a bag that states it is chemotherapy. After we take down our chemo we place it in a chemo bag and then put it in a special bin that is only for chemotherapy waste. Hope that helps.

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Is ONS standards to...

to wear gown, gloves (chemo), and eye ppe while hanging and discarding chemotherpy. In the private outpt chemo infusion center where I have been working 3 months or so, we do not mix our chemo but we are using regular gloves (not double gloved) to hang chemo. We hang the chemo at the patients chair. In reading everyones blogs it sounds like I am working at a very dangerous place.

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