Managing Chemotherapy Side Effects: Achieving Reliable and Equitable Outcomes

Receiving information about treatment-related side effects is a high priority for patients receiving chemotherapy. Infusion nurses typically assume responsibility for teaching patients how to manage treatment-related side effects, but providing reliable and equitable information across visits and across different infusion centers can present a problem. Implementing a standardized, patient-centered, departure encounter checklist can help ensure that nurses consistently provide patients with targeted, timely, and regimen-specific information about treatment-related side effects.

At a Glance

• A structured discharge and departure process can help nurses in delivering high-quality patient-centered care.
• Providing nurses with a checklist with cues reinforces a standardized encounter with each patient.
• Developing interventions that the nursing staff “own” allows for easier adoption.