Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Safe Handling of Chemotherapy Drugs among Nurses in a Private Hospital at Selangor, Malaysia.

Introduction: The incidence of cancer and the evolution in chemotherapy may lead to negative impact for nurses and patients being exposed to cytotoxic components during treatment. The purpose of this study is to determine the knowledge, attitude, and practice on the safe handling of chemotherapy among nurses in private hospital at Selangor, Malaysia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire to determine nurses' knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding safe handling of chemotherapy drugs. SPSS version 25 was used to obtain the descriptive statistics and Chi-square association. Results: This study included 71 nurses (female 93%, male 7%), age below 30 (83%) and age above 30 (17%). The results show that 93% of nurses have a high level of knowledge and 100% of nurses have appropriate attitudes in handling chemotherapy drugs. Practice levels range from good to average with 87.3% having good practice and 12.7% having average practice. Chi-square analysis shows a significant association between education needs (p=0.01) and belief in continuing education (p=0.00) towards nurses safe handling practices of chemotherapy drugs. Conclusions: A high score in safe handling protocols, positive attitudes towards safety, and consistent best practices indicates that the nurses are well-trained, informed, and committed to providing safe chemotherapy treatments. Continuous vigilance and education, such as refresher courses, as well as adhering to the most recent guidelines, are required to maintain nurses' knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding safe cytotoxic handling and, as a result, can ensure patient safety and well-being during chemotherapy treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]