FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 15, 2008

BUFFALO, NY – Strategies that simplify and improve the chemotherapy process at Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) are transforming care at the bedside, decreasing medical errors associated with chemotherapy administration and improving nursing confidence and satisfaction.

Mary Ann Long, MS, RN, OCN, Department of Nursing at RPCI, has been invited to share these strategies with colleagues during a podium presentation at the 33^rd Annual Congress of the Oncology Nursing Society, May 15-18, in Philadelphia.           

Chemotherapy administration is a complex process that can be anxiety producing, especially for new nurses or those not experienced in this field. Direct care nurses from Roswell Park involved in the administration of chemotherapy identified several issues contributing to the complexity of this process.

These nurses then simplified the process by designing a roadmap that outlines the order of administration and associated instructions of specific chemotherapy regimens, and created a pocket-sized booklet that includes the side effects and special instructions of the chemotherapy agents prescribed most often at RPCI.

“Chemotherapy continues to be challenging because of new agents and the combination of agents in cancer treatment. It is imperative that bedside nurses are empowered to identify issues and transform the care that they provide to the safest method possible,” noted Ms. Long.

Darryl Somayaji, RN MSN, CCRC; Doreen Tober, RN; Cathy O’Connor, RN; Tara Salge, RN BSN; and Eileen Kelly, RN BSN, contributed to this study.

Roswell Park Cancer Institute, founded in 1898, is the nation’s first cancer research, treatment and education center and is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Upstate New York. RPCI is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers. Roswell Park has affiliate sites and collaborative programs both nationally and internationally. For more information, visit RPCI’s website at www.roswellpark.org, call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) or e-mail askrpci@roswellpark.org.

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