Leadership & Professional Development

Chemotherapy Administration: Using Simulation Case-Based Scenarios to Assess Chemotherapy Competency

Courtney Crannell

simulation teaching, chemotherapy
ONF 2011, 39(1), 19-22. DOI: 10.1188/12.ONF.19-22

Ongoing assessment of nursing competency is necessary to ensure that safe care is being delivered to patients. Competency assessments are familiar phenomena among nurses, independent of practice settings. Nurses graduate with basic skills; as skill sets expand, it becomes important to verify that skill and technique accuracy are maintained. As healthcare becomes more specialized, nurses who commit to specific patient populations and become proficient in specialized skill sets also must have those skill sets assessed for continued competency beyond initial training. Chemotherapy regimens can be complex and have been identified as high-alert medications because of the potential for patient safety compromise if an error occurs (Institute for Safe Medication Practices, 2008). When errors occur in the use of high-alert medications, the consequences are debilitating to patients (Institute for Safe Medication Practices, 2008).

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