A Nurse-Led Programme for Safe Chemotherapy Handling by Nurses for Breast Cancer Patients: A Scoping Literature Review

Background Nurses are central to safe preparation, administration and disposal of chemotherapeutic (antineoplastic) agents. Nurse-led programmes may improve safe-handling practices, nurse competency and patient safety, but the scope and characteristics of such programmes specifically addressing safe chemotherapy handling for breast cancer care have not been mapped. Objective To identify and synthesise existing literature (2015–2025) on nurse-led programmes for safe chemotherapy handling in breast cancer care globally. Methods Using the Arksey & O’Malley five-stage framework for scoping reviews, we conducted targeted searches of PubMed/Medline, CINAHL, Scopus and specialist society resources for peer-reviewed studies (2015–2025) describing nurse-led initiatives addressing safe handling of chemotherapy and where patients with breast cancer were included. Key concepts searched included: “nurse-led”, “chemotherapy”, “safe handling”, “antineoplastic”, “education”, “competency”, and “breast cancer”. Results A total of seven (n = 7) articles were included in the review. The studies originated from three countries, namely Egypt, the United States, and Iran. The studies were published across various reputable journals, including BMC Nursing, the Journal of Oncology Practice, the Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing, the Egyptian Journal of Health Care, the Menoufia Nursing Journal, and the Minia Scientific Nursing Journal. Notably, no studies were identified from Sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting a gap in research on nurse-led chemotherapy safety programmes within this region Conclusion This review included seven studies conducted between 2015 and 2024 from Egypt, the United States, and Iran, with no studies identified from Sub-Saharan Africa. The studies consistently showed that educational and nurse-led interventions, along with adherence to safety guidelines, significantly enhanced oncology nurses’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward safe chemotherapy handling. Future research should therefore focus on designing and evaluating nurse-led chemotherapy safety programmes tailored to the African context.