Nursefriendly.com: occupational health

Showing posts with label occupational health. Show all posts

Friday, April 15, 2011

A Silent Epidemic of Needle Injuries - NYTimes.com

Craig Dilger for The New York Times Medical students appear to be at high risk for needle injuries.

Surgical students are frequently stuck by needles, but many students don’t bother reporting the injuries, a new study found.

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University surveyed 699 recent medical school graduates who had trained to become surgeons at 17 medical centers in the United States. The survey found that 59 percent had been stuck by a needle at some point during medical school, according to the study, in the December issue of Academic Medicine.

Inadvertent needle sticks are a concern to both doctor and patient. A health care worker accidentally pierced by a needle is at risk for contracting hepatitis C or H.I.V. or developing an infection. And if the health care worker already has a blood borne illness, a needle stick injury could expose patients to a droplet of infected blood.

via well.blogs.nytimes.com

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Sunday, March 13, 2011

Friendly Footwear a Must for Those Who Work Standing Up

The average American’s foot pain often gets in the way of daily activities. Perhaps no group suffers from chronic foot pain more than those who are constantly on their feet. According to the American Podiatric Medical Association's (APMA) 2009 foot ailments survey, 44 percent of respondents said they spend at least four hours standing every day. Additionally, nearly 78 percent of Americans have experienced foot problems as a result of wearing uncomfortable or ill-fitting shoes.

"The excess strain put on the legs and feet of those standing for long periods of time can take a massive toll on the body—especially for those working in the health care community," said APMA President Ronald Jensen, DPM. "Without the proper footwear that provides necessary support to the ligaments and joints of the feet, these individuals are subject to a host of ailments that can lead to chronic problems such as metatarsalgia—a pain and inflammation in the ball of the foot.”

via apma.org

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Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Nurses’ Widespread Job Dissatisfaction, Burnout, And Frustration With Health Benefits Signal Problems For Patient Care — Health Aff

Job dissatisfaction among nurses contributes to costly labor disputes, turnover, and risk to patients. Examining survey data from 95,499 nurses, we found much higher job dissatisfaction and burnout among nurses who were directly caring for patients in hospitals and nursing homes than among nurses working in other jobs or settings, such as the pharmaceutical industry. Strikingly, nurses are particularly dissatisfied with their health benefits, which highlights the need for a benefits review to make nurses’ benefits more comparable to those of other white-collar employees. Patient satisfaction levels are lower in hospitals with more nurses who are dissatisfied or burned out—a finding that signals problems with quality of care. Improving nurses’ working conditions may improve both nurses’ and patients’ satisfaction as well as the quality of care.

via content.healthaffairs.org

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Thursday, January 27, 2011

Nurses Blast Obama Administration for Removing OSHA Safety Rule on ADVANCE for Nurses

National Nurses United (NNU) is sharply criticizing the Obama administration for a decision by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Tuesday to withdraw a rule requiring employers to report musculoskeletal injuries to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

"This is a disturbing sign that the Obama administration may be putting the economic interests of employers ahead of the safety of nurses and other working people," says Karen Higgins, RN, co-president of the 160,000-member nurses union.

The decades-old rule reportedly was pulled by the DOL at the request of the White House's Office of Management and Budget. The decision, according to NNU, "coincides with the recent announcement by the Obama administration that it intends to pursue deregulation of rules opposed by corporate interests.

"Nursing is one of the most dangerous occupations in the U.S., and nurses are especially subject to serious back and other musculoskeletal injuries," says Higgins. "One step we can take to keep nurses safe and at work is to have an accurate picture of when and how they are hurt on the job."

via nursing.advanceweb.com

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Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Dry hands makeover, Scrubsmag.com

Image: © iStockphoto.com

If your hands are sore, split, chapped or even bleeding from the constant hand-washing that is a necessary part of a nurse’s life, don’t despair that you’ll never have soft hands again. That’s because a wide array of products and practical tips can help salvage even the roughest hands.

The key is that just as you’ve developed the habit of constantly washing your hands, you can also make it a continual practice to provide a little hand TLC.

To help restore your dry and sore hands:

1. Cover up. Be extra vigilant to protect your hands from the elements—and that means gloves or mittens whenever you’re outside during the cold weather, even if only for a few minutes.

2. Change your technique. When washing your hands, use warm or cold water, never hot. Ask for approval to use a gentler hand soap, such as Cetaphil, Aveeno or Dove. Avoid hand soaps that have alcohol, which can not only be drying and irritating, but can sting your raw skin. When drying your hands, blot, don’t rub. If possible, use cotton towels, not paper towels, which can be irritating to the skin and even cause some allergic reactions.

3. Use the glove treatment. For many nurses, latex gloves or those containing powder can be a real irritant to chapped or split skin. One option is to slip on thin cotton gloves, which can be found in drug stores, before putting on latex gloves.

4. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. Lightweight lotions don’t cut it for most nurses, since the constant hand-washing takes a much greater toll on the skin. That’s why any moisturizing product should have a thick consistency—you should be able to put a dollop on your hand, and when you turn your hand over, it won’t budge. Some good options: Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream, Aquaphor Healing Ointment, Eucerin Plus, Bag Balm and Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream. The key is using lotion often—each time you wash your hands, if possible. Buy the travel sizes to keep at your desk or in your pocket. A note of caution: Check with infection control before adopting this practice, as some lotions can affect the integrity of gloves and may even cause tears.

5. Protect split skin. While it can sting when applying, using a liquid bandage product such as one by Band-Aid can keep your hands from bleeding and prevent a split from getting worse. Remember, an open wound can get infected.

6. Practice good habits at home. Use your off hours to be extra kind to your hands. Wash with a gentle soap such as those mentioned above, and always wear gloves when using any cleaning product. Slather on a good moisturizer right before bed, then don cotton gloves or cotton socks so the moisture can deeply penetrate the skin overnight.

Finally, if your hands continue to get worse, see a dermatologist. You may need treatment that you can’t get over the counter.

Tags: Beauty

via scrubsmag.com

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Thursday, January 6, 2011

nurses-by-the-numbers.jpg (600×4217)

via nursingschool.org

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Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Why Your Back Hurts: The Surprising Causes of Low Back Pain - Chronic Pain - Health.com

content provided by Healthwise
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Most low back pain is triggered by some combination of overuse, muscle strain, and injury to the muscles, ligaments, and discs that support the spine. Many experts believe that over time muscle strain can lead to an overall imbalance in the spinal structure. This leads to a constant tension on the muscles, ligaments, bones, and discs, making the back more prone to injury or reinjury.

The causes of pain in the low back, or lumbosacral region, tend to add on to one another. For example, after straining muscles, you are likely to walk or move in different ways to avoid pain or to use muscles that aren't sore. That can cause you to strain other muscles that don't usually move that way.

The most common causes of low back pain are:

Injury or overuse of muscles, ligaments, facet joints, and the sacroiliac joints.

Pressure on nerve roots in the spinal canal. Nerve root compression can be caused by:
A herniated disc, often brought on by repeated vibration or motion (as during machine use or sport activity, or when lifting improperly), or by a sudden heavy strain or increased pressure to the lower back.

Osteoarthritis (joint degeneration), which typically develops with age. When osteoarthritis affects the small facet joints in the spine, it can lead to back pain. Osteoarthritis in other joints, such as the hips, can cause you to limp or to change the way you walk. This can also lead to back pain.

Spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis, vertebra defects that can allow a vertebra to slide over another when aggravated by certain activities.

Spinal stenosis, or narrowing of the spinal canal, which typically develops with age.

Fractures of the vertebrae caused by significant force, such as from an auto or bicycle accident, a direct blow to the spine, or compressing the spine by falling onto the buttocks or head.

Spinal deformities, including curvature problems such as severe scoliosis or kyphosis.

Compression fractures. Compression fractures are more common among postmenopausal women with osteoporosis, or in men or women after long-term corticosteroid use. In a person with osteoporosis, even a small amount of force put on the spine, as from a sneeze, may cause a compression fracture.

via health.com

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Monday, December 13, 2010

It All Comes Down to Posture My Friend, Putmebacktogether.com

So we’ve all seen it… the elderly male who presents with such an exaggerated forward-flexed posture it looks as though he will fall over if not for the cane propping up his torso with every step, or the middle aged woman who’s “hunch” or kyphosis is accentuated further by her significant loss of lordosis, stiff pelvis, and short hamstrings. Certainly age related changes and conditions occur, we become stiff, our bones become brittle and our discs become more rigid and narrow. Aside from this, far too many cases of preventable postural deformities occur and unfortunately, once a person is in the later stages of life they are almost impossible to correct.

Of course posture related deformities are no longer exclusive to the older population, it is now more prevalent than ever in our youth. Children and teenagers are receiving increased medical care for posture related conditions; chronic back pain is at the top of the list. I see far too many young men and women with significant slouched postures. Imagine how many hours are spent in front of the TV or computer today vs. even 10 years ago. The last statistic I read stated up to 6-7 hours per day! Paired with a lack of awareness and decreased activity, poor posture is an epidemic in our society and one that is not going away any time soon.

Therefore, it is increasingly important for those of us in the healthcare field, especially in the Physical Therapy profession, to educate our patients and their families on the importance of using proper posture with daily activities while increasing physical activity. In addition, we need to increase awareness of the deformity that can occur later in life and the painful conditions that may occur right now. I always tell patients the best thing they can do to improve their posture is to simply to, “be aware of it.” Aware of it in the car, aware of it on the bus, aware of it at their desks, aware if it as they are standing, walking, squatting, sitting, bending, talking, exercising, cleaning, playing, eating and most of all when they are doing any of these things for a prolonged period of time. Let’s teach our youth to be proactive; a little effort today will go a long way and will likely prevent illness and injury in the future. Does it really surprise you that you’re Mothers and Grandmothers were right?

Read more about author Holly Zahler

via putmebacktogether.com

Let's see, back pain, injury is the #1 cause of disability amount the nursing occupations. Ever wonder if your posture factoring into it? Maybe you should.

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Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Pediatricians will join call for mandatory flu shots - USATODAY.com

I'd like to see them try to make it mandatory for all nurses, doctors and healthcare professionals. A national flu outbreak aside, there just isn't a documented need for it. The issue comes up as well, if it sickens healthcare professionals, is the employer or government going to pay the full cost of the illness it caused by making the shots mandatory?
Pediatricians will join call for mandatory flu shots - USATODAY.com:"The American Academy of Pediatrics plans to call for all health workers to get flu vaccinations, saying unvaccinated doctors, nurses and other medical staffers pose a threat to patients. The academy, which represents 60,000 pediatricians, is the latest of several organizations that now back mandatory flu shots for health workers. The groups include the National Patient Safety Foundation, the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Society of Healthcare Epidemiologists."
http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/health/medical/coldflu/2010-09-08-1Aflu08_ST_N.htm

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Labels: flu, flu season, flu shot, infectious diseases, influenza, occupational health, vaccinations, vaccines, working conditions for nurses

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Friday, April 15, 2011

A Silent Epidemic of Needle Injuries - NYTimes.com

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Friendly Footwear a Must for Those Who Work Standing Up

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Nurses’ Widespread Job Dissatisfaction, Burnout, And Frustration With Health Benefits Signal Problems For Patient Care — Health Aff

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Nurses Blast Obama Administration for Removing OSHA Safety Rule on ADVANCE for Nurses

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Dry hands makeover, Scrubsmag.com

Thursday, January 6, 2011

nurses-by-the-numbers.jpg (600×4217)

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Why Your Back Hurts: The Surprising Causes of Low Back Pain - Chronic Pain - Health.com

Monday, December 13, 2010

It All Comes Down to Posture My Friend, Putmebacktogether.com

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Pediatricians will join call for mandatory flu shots - USATODAY.com

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