This study describes workplace conditions, the environment, and activities that may contribute to musculoskeletal injuries among nurses, as well as identifies solutions to decrease these risks and improve work-related conditions. The study used a mixed-methods design. Participants included nurses and stakeholders from five hospitals. Several focus groups were held with nurses, walk-throughs of clinical units were conducted, and stakeholder interviews with key occupational health and safety personnel were conducted in each of the five hospitals, as well as with representatives from the American Nurses Association, Veterans Health Administration hospital, and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Several key contributing factors, including the physical environment (e.g., layout and organization of work stations), work organization and culture (e.g., heavy workload, inadequate staffing, lack of education), and work activities (e.g., manual lifting of patients, lack of assistive devices), were identified. Recommendations included the need for a multifaceted and comprehensive approach to developing a sound ergonomics program.
Although preventable, hearing impairment is one of the most prevalent disabilities in Western societies. In the United States, approximately 30 million individuals are at risk for noise-induced hearing loss and 22 million individuals between the ages of 20 and 69 have permanently damaged their hearing by exposure to loud sounds or noise in their environment. Both work-related and recreational noise exposure affect an individual's hearing. Legislation in 1969 and later in 1983 established standards mandating that all workers exposed to noise levels at or greater than 85 dBA time-weighted average be placed in a hearing conservation program that includes provision of hearing protective devices. This article discusses components of an effective hearing conservation program, and the roles and functions of interdisciplinary team members in making a hearing conservation program successful.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 18 million health care workers in the United States are currently employed in the health care field and at risk of infectious respiratory exposure. With the emergence of global infectious diseases such as Ebola and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), there is a need for increased and more clinically competent use of respiratory protection among healthcare workers. In an effort to improve knowledge about the practice of respiratory protection against respiratory infectious agents, a NIOSH-funded project that included an educational program, observations of HCWs, and focus groups was conducted. This study aimed to develop, implement, and evaluate respiratory protection educational program for HCWs and hospital management. This study identified respiratory protection practice issues among HCWs and strategies for integration of respiratory protection standards and procedures into practice. Findings from these efforts were used to develop respiratory protection competencies. Any worker who has the potential for respiratory exposure to infectious agents should be protected and should be able to demonstrate these specific competencies to achieve a standard level of respiratory protection.
lobalization increases the connections and interdependence of world business. Advances in air travel technology and accessibility have resulted in the acceptance of travel as a typical job task. The purpose of this article is to present a review of the recent literature on the hazards faced by the frequent flyer business traveler, The hazards are discussed using biological and infectious, chemical, enviromechanical, physical, and psychosocial classifications. Also reviewed arc the pre-existing risk factors of diabetes. cardiac disease. respiratory disease, pregnancy, and hypersensitivity disease. The TImet lnclustry® Dictio/ICIIY (2003) defines the frequent flyer as "the business person who travels often by air, especially on one airline, and is enrolled in an airline's frequent t1yer program" (p. I). Traveling wisely can be defined as the ability of the worker to consider health and safety issues as an essential part of travel arrangements. to be aware of preventable consequences of air travel hazards, and to arrive at the global destination ready to make critical business decisions. For many businesses, the ability to travel wisely has become a core competency that is un integral part of employees' job descriptions.
Occupational health nursing academic education is generally provided at the specialty level through master's and doctoral degree preparation. This graduate education provides preparation for administrative, occupational health specialist, practitioner, academician, and researcher roles. Guided by nursing science, this specialty education encompasses a comprehensive curriculum that requires occupational health and safety coursework, practicum experience, and interdisciplinary learning.
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