Abstract
BACKGROUND: Phase 1 clinical trials are the initial phase in advancing cancer treatment and testing a new drug for the first time in humans. No studies have investigated combined nurse knowledge, attitudes, and skills when administering phase 1 drugs. OBJECTIVES: This study examined oncology nurses' knowledge, attitudes, and skills; communication; and workflows regarding safe administration of phase 1 drugs. METHODS: A team at a large cancer organization in the southwestern United States conducted an exploratory, cross-sectional survey. The sample included acute and ambulatory care nurses who administer investigational drugs and clinical research nurses who oversee clinical trials. FINDINGS: Nurses scored highest in knowing the goal of a phase 1 drug and lowest in knowing which phase of investigational drug they were administering. For attitudes, confidence in administering and perceived safety when administering were the lowest mean scores. More than half had administered a phase 1 drug in the past five years. More oncology nursing experience correlated with understanding the nurse's role and negatively correlated with fear. About half of the nurses identified challenges in clinical trials workflows.