Hospital Employee Health – March 1, 2012
March 1, 2012
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Joint Commission gives hospitals a wake-up call on fatigue risks
Hospitals have been put on alert to recognize fatigue among health care workers as a risk to patient safety. But for now, hospitals won't face any regulatory consequences for failing to address it. -
Joint Commission keys to fight fatigue
In a recent Sentinel Event Alert, the Joint Commission accrediting organization offered suggestions for health care employers to "mitigate the risks of fatigue that result from extended work hours and, therefore, protect patients from preventable adverse outcomes." -
Is it a mandate — or just a requirement?
A federal advisory panel gave a boost to policies that require health care workers to receive the flu vaccine but stopped short of endorsing the strongest mandates. If health care employers can't achieve an influenza vaccination goal of 90% "in an efficient and timely manner," then they should "strongly consider an employer requirement," a subgroup of the National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC) said. -
Striving for 90%: HHS seeks a rate hike
A working group of the National Vaccine Advisory Group, which advises the Assistant Secretary for Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), developed the following recommendations to improve influenza vaccination of health care workers. They were all recently approved by the full committee and are now under consideration for adoption by the HHS. -
It's a record: 12,850 flu shots in 8 hours
Each fall, hospitals seek to vaccinate as many health care workers as possible against influenza. But what if you tried to vaccinate as many as possible in one day? -
First-in-nation rule targets hazardous drugs
Washington became the first state to issue a rule to protect health care workers who handle hazardous drugs a move that proponents hope will prompt other states to take similar action. -
WA limiting exposure to hazardous drugs
A new Washington state rule requires employers to minimize or eliminate exposure to hazardous drugs. The hazardous drugs control program must include: -
Dementia rises in aging workforce
The housekeeper had always done a thorough job cleaning patient rooms, but lately her work was haphazard. When a supervisor pointed out things she'd missed, she said, "Oh, I must have forgotten." Forgotten? How could you forget how to do a job you'd done every day for 30 years? -
Young onset dementia: A guide for employers
This advice for employers provides suggestions for handling common problems faced by employees with early dementia. It was excerpted from a guide created by the Alzheimers & Dementia Alliance of Wisconsin. -
ANA: Most nurses work with MSD pain
Despite the progress toward safe patient handling, about eight in 10 nurses still suffer from frequent musculoskeletal pain and six in 10 worry about having a disabling musculoskeletal injury, according to a 2011 online survey by the American Nurses Association in Silver Spring, MD.