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Imagine a disposable respirator that fits well right out of the box. Or perhaps even a respirator that's inexpensive and requires no annual fit-test.
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No more needlesticks. That sounds like a laudable goal that could prevent health care workers from being exposed to deadly diseases. But, in tandem, hospitals need to maintain another important message that could actually cause their numbers to rise: Report all needlesticks.
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OSHA has proposed wording changes to the following sections of standards that related to the health care industry:
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It just takes an evening of viewing the television drama E.R. to know that hospital work is stressful. But the stress that evolves into an occupational hazard isn't from treating trauma victims or mysterious illnesses.
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Many hospitals would be happy to lift their rate of health care worker influenza immunization past 60% or 70%, but in Iowa, the bar is quite a bit higher than that. In fact, it is near perfection.
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Lapses in personal protective equipment and training could soon become a lot more costly. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has proposed a "clarification" of rules, including the respirator protection and bloodborne pathogen standards, that give it authority to magnify fines for hospitals and other employers.
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"Everyone deserves a shot at fighting flu." The catchy slogan of the American Nurses Association (ANA) is an example of the marketing push for greater flu vaccination of health care workers. Everyone is stepping up their role to raise the influenza immunization rate.
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Pressure to vaccinate more health care workers against influenza will grow even more intense this year, as public health officials seek to reach the Healthy People 2010 goal of immunizing 60% of all health care workers.
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Increasing workloads and pressure and an emphasis on productivity is negatively affecting the safety climate at hospitals, nurses reported in a 2008 online survey of nurses by the Silver Spring, MD-based American Nurses Association (ANA).
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Working nights and rotating shifts can wreak havoc with your sleep schedule. Shift work has been linked to a wide range of hazards, from cardiovascular disease and cancer to fatigue that leads to errors. But researchers have an upbeat message about shift work: You can reduce those ill effects.