SPEAKER: MiKaela M Olsen
ROOM: Rivoli C
CONTACT HOURS: 1
CRNI RUs: 2

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, over 8.5 million United States health care workers are potentially exposed to hazardous drugs annually, including antineoplastic drugs, which are increasingly used to treat nonmalignant conditions. Therefore, safe handling of these drugs is a critical issue. Exposed health care workers are at increased risk for adverse health effects, including nausea and vomiting, alopecia, damage to organs and organ systems, adverse birth outcomes, and even cancer. Evidence of health care worker exposure to hazardous drugs has increased since the 1970s, despite improvement in policies and practices. In this session, the current evidence-based recommendations for practice, with a focus on USP 800 and the 4th edition of Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs, published in 2024 by the Oncology Nursing Society, will be discussed. 

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, learners will be able to: • Review the health risks for nurses associated with handling hazardous drugs and the types of drugs that have hazardous potential • Describe at least 3 national standards for the safe handling of hazardous drugs • Identify barriers to nursing compliance with safe handling standards and strategies to overcome these barriers