Oncology education

Most hospitals and clinics require that nurses receive specialized training and standardized educational preparation before they are permitted to administer antineoplastic drug s. The Oncology Nursing Society has developed guidelines and educational tools for creden-tialing nurses for certification in administering chemotherapy. 

BOICE, J.D., Jr. (1979). Multiple chest fluoroscopies and the risk of breast cancer, page 147 in Advances in Medical Oncology Research, and Education, VoL 1, Margison, G.E, Ed. (Pergamon Press, New %rk). 

Certification programs formally confirm that an individual has successfully met the standards set by the organization (association) for a particular practice or area of specialty. For example, the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties (BPS) certifies that a pharmacist has demonstrated an advanced level of education, experience, knowledge, and skills in one of five specialty areas nuclear pharmacy, nutrition support, oncology pharmacy, pharmacotherapy, and psychiatric pharmacy. 

Pfeiffer documented the impact of an oncology pharmacist s review of chemotherapy administrations. The pharmacist reviewed chemotherapy admissions on a monthly basis for 20 months. Pertinent patient demographic data, chemotherapy administrations information, and admissions stay data were collected and were compared to an ideal that was predetermined based on the institution s admissions standards and chemotherapy care maps. The pharmacist identified opportunities for education for cases where length of stay exceeded the institution s standards or where problems were identified... 

The Section of Clinical Specialists of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists - provides networking opportunities for ASHP members who practice or conduct clinical research in oncology pharmacy practice. Members also have input for specialty practice educational programming and receive a networking directory to assist in identifying other practitioners with similar practice and/or research interests. 

Oncology Research and Education, Proceedings of the Xllth International Cancer Congress", Vol. I Carcinogenesis Margison, G.P., Ed., Pergamon Press, New York, 1979, pp. 273-280. 

Design Criteria for Viral Oncology Research Facilities, Publ. No. (NIH) 75-891, U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Washington, D.C., 1975. 

In the year 2008, LMIFB, in cooperation with professional associations, hospitals, and educational institutions (Latvian Radiologists Association, Latvian Oncology Center, Riga Technical University, P. Stradina University Hospital, and University of Latvia), developed national Professional Standard for the Medical Physicist. Development of such a standard becomes an important milestone toward certification of medical physicists at the national level. 

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