Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice among Palestinian Oncology Nurses toward Chemotherapy Administration in West-Bank: A Cross-Sectional Study

Nurses play a crucial role as advocates for patients. To effectively fulfil this role, nurses must possess strong proficiency in chemotherapy administration and undergo continuous assessment. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice among Palestinian oncology nurses regarding chemotherapy administration. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the oncology departments of five government hospitals and one private hospital in the West Bank from February to April 2023. Descriptive statistics, including frequency, percentages, mean scores, and standard deviation, were utilized. Inferential statistics involved independent t-tests and one-way ANOVAs. The study comprised 72 nurses working in cancer units at the time of the research. Demographic data revealed that 63.9% of the participants were female, while 36.1% were male. Additionally, 43.1% of nurses were aged between 21 and 30 years. Furthermore, more than two-thirds of the nurses held a bachelor’s degree, and 72.2% were married. Regarding professional experience, 22.2% had less than 1 year, while 37.5% had over 4 years. Notably, 50% of nurses demonstrated poor knowledge of chemotherapy administration, 44.4% had adequate knowledge, and only 5.6% possessed good knowledge. In terms of attitude, 72.20% of nurses had a favorable view of chemotherapy administration, and 27.8% had a positive attitude. Regarding practice, 80.6% exhibited good practice, 18.1% had moderate practice, and only 1.4%demonstrated poor practice. The study findings highlight a significant knowledge gap in chemotherapy administration among oncology nurses in the West Bank. This underscores the need for targeted interventions and further research to address and generalize these findings.