Managing nausea: a chemotherapy education resource manual for nurses

Abstract

Cancer is a significant health care concern worldwide that is often treated by using chemotherapy. Nurses working in Oncology/Hematology are not only responsible for the administration of chemotherapy agents but also play a significant role in teaching patients about their treatments. From my personal experience as an Oncology/Hematology nurse, I noted barriers to providing effective patient chemotherapy education which led to inconsistencies in the teaching being provided. From these observations, the idea of a resource manual was constructed. To substantiate the felt need for a resource manual a comprehensive literature review as well as key stake holder consultations were conducted. The management of nausea and vomiting for individuals undergoing chemotherapy was identified as a priority need. This report provides an overview of the findings of the literature review and key stake holder consultations. Findings were used in conjunction with Morrison, Ross, Kalman and Kemp’s (2013) instructional design model and Knowles Principles of Adult Learning (1984) to develop this manual. In doing so, application of the advanced nursing competencies: clinical practice, research, leadership, consultation and collaboration were demonstrated.