Abstract CN30
Background
Cancer nurses across Europe are working under very different circumstances. Guidelines on occupational and patient safety vary between countries and healthcare organizations. European Oncology Nursing Society’s (EONS) Advocacy working group, set a strategic goal to create an accreditation system based on results of the survey that was conducted in order to gain knowledge on both patient- and occupational safety from European cancer nurses.
Methods
EONS Advocacy working group developed a survey on occupational and patient safety. The semi-structured survey was translated into 9 languages and consisted of a self-developed questionnaire and the validated Hospital Survey on Patient Safety. The survey was anonymous and handed out at various cancer nursing conferences and through the EONS webpage (from Oct. 2019 to Aug. 2020). A database was developed by the Regional Cancer Centre in Stockholm-Gotland, Sweden. Results from this survey led directly to the development of this accreditation system.
Results
616 cancer nurses from 40 European countries responded. Results highlighted a number of safety related issues experienced by nurses. This resulted in the EONS safety manifesto reflecting 4 objectives and key recommendations: 1) provide information to patients and their significant others and encourage them to take active part in their care, 2) avoid direct contact with cytotoxic and radiation drugs when planning or during pregnancy, 3) always follow safety precautions; use PPE, 4) always speak up and question if something is, or appears to be wrong. Based on these four pillars, the accreditation system will be built.
Conclusions
The EONS survey on patient and occupational safety provided very useful results and created the basis of the nurses accreditation system. At the EONS14 congress, further results will be presented on development of this accreditation system specifically for nurses.
Clinical trial identification
Editorial acknowledgement
Legal entity responsible for the study
EONS.
Funding
Has not received any funding.
Disclosure
All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.