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It will take a culture shift for doctors, nurses and other health care workers to consider fatigue as a major factor in patient and employee safety. But that moment may be a step closer with new guidance on fatigue management in the workplace.
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Trying to protect a patient from a fall may be one of the most dangerous things your employees do. They will put themselves at risk to cushion a patient. And often, that results in a serious musculoskeletal injury.
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The question of gown use when entering patient isolation rooms is a recurrent one, so it is worth noting that this is the current thinking of the Joint Commission on the subject:
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Infections from Clostridium difficile have skyrocketed, more than doubling from 2000 to 2009. While most cases (75%) originate in nursing homes, doctors' offices or other health care settings, many of those C. diff patients will end up in hospitals. A hypervirulent, resistant strain of C. diff requires greater vigilance.
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One hospital's survey experience suggests Joint Commission surveyors will remain highly interested in infection control even if your health care associated infection (HAI) rate is low.
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Night shift nurses aren't the only ones fighting sleepiness during work. Even day shift nurses suffer from sleep deprivation from getting too little sleep at night. A recent study in Michigan found that a comprehensive fatigue management program can improve alertness and prevent fatigue-related errors in nurses regardless of their shift.
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To be a "star" in the eyes of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, employers must invite inspectors to take a close look at their employee health and safety program. In the 30 years of the program, not many hospitals have been willing to do that.
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One hundred thousand nurses may soon be part of an effort that could lead to a safer health care workplace.
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In a typical shift, nurses perform dozens of small actions that could put them at risk for carpal tunnel syndrome: pushing the plunger of syringes, pressing blood pressure bulbs, tapping into keyboards. Nurses are among the workers with the highest levels of overexertion injuries, and occupational health researchers are seeking interventions that could reduce that risk.
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A federal advisory panel endorsed an "employer requirement" for health care facilities that fail to vaccinate 90% of their health care workers against influenza but gave employers a wide berth to interpret what type of requirements they might set.
