Health care/social assistance

RSS

Washington – An improved organizational safety climate – including increased management commitment – may help prevent exposure to liquid antineoplastic drugs among nurses who administer the medications, a recent NIOSH study suggests.

East Lansing, MI – Employees who use bleach for workplace cleaning and sanitizing are the focus of a new safety guide published by the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Occupational and Environmental Medicine Division.

Washington – Although most dental professionals use a scavenging system to prevent nitrous oxide gas from escaping during dental procedures, adherence to other recommended practices – such as checking equipment for leaks – is lacking, according to a new study from NIOSH.

Chelmsford, MA – America’s nurses are feeling the effects of fatigue, and 90 percent have considered leaving their current hospital for a position with better work-life balance, according to the results of a recent survey conducted by Kronos Inc., a provider of digital workplace solutions.

Washington – Twenty-eight percent of private dental practices have not fulfilled OSHA’s requirement for a written, site-specific bloodborne pathogens exposure control plan, according to the results of a recent survey conducted by NIOSH and the Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention, an oral health care advocacy group.

Alphen aan den Rijn, The Netherlands – A new policy paper from the Emergency Nurses Association and the International Nurses Society on Addictions emphasizes “alternative-to-discipline” methods for nurses and nursing students who may be struggling with drug and alcohol addiction.

Silver Spring, MD – Intended to promote better health habits among the nation’s 3.6 million registered nurses, as well as the patients they serve, the American Nurses Association has launched the Healthy Nurse, Healthy Nation Grand Challenge.

Washington – NIOSH has created an online topic page spotlighting a survey that examines hazardous drugs and chemical hazards present in the health care industry.

Sacramento, CA – California lawmakers are moving forward with legislation that would require health care facilities to use scavenging systems to reduce “surgical plume" – toxic airborne contaminants that threaten surgical staff and patients.

Washington – NIOSH has released two electronic modules for tracking sharps injuries, as well as blood and body fluid exposures, among health care workers as part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Occupational Health Safety Network.