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Have Systems in Place to Report Problems with Surgical Instruments
When experiencing repeated problems with surgical instruments that are broken, missing, or dirty, documentation of such problems is key to resolving the issue, says R. Stephen Trosty, JD, MHA, CPHRM, ARM, risk management and patient safety consultant in Haslett, MI.
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Surgical Instruments’ Sterilization Probed After 11 Years of Complaints
“It’s a surgeon’s nightmare.” These words, spoken by a physician at Detroit Medical Center, ran in The Detroit News in a multi-story investigative series about how physicians had reported unclean, missing, and damaged surgical instruments for 11 years without the issue being resolved.
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Surgical Group Calls for No Scrubs Beyond the Hospital
In the name of patient safety, we have heard calls for “bare below the elbows” care in hospital wards, and now the American College of Surgeons is strongly urging surgical workers to drop the common practice of wearing scrubs in public.
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Respirator and Surgical Mask Myths and Controversies
As part of its recent annual N95 Day respirator activities, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health sought to bust several myths about respiratory protection, including the misconception that “respirators and surgical masks provide the same type and level of protection for the user.”
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Hospital Employees Living with Diabetes
Beyond the numbers on the debilitating effects of diabetes on healthcare workers, there are personal stories of success that may inspire others to join wellness programs.
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Wellness Programs can Improve Health, Reduce Cost for HCWs with Diabetes
Diabetes in healthcare workers is a major driver of medical insurance costs, as the chronic blood sugar disorder can set off a range of health problems and increase risk of stroke and heart disease.
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OSHA Focus on Safe Patient Handling
While there is a general consensus that safe patient handling programs nationally suffer from a lack of implementation and enforcement, employee health professionals should be aware that OSHA is taking a close look at the issue when they inspect healthcare facilities.
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Healthcare Workers Remain At Risk of Patient Handling Injuries
With proposed federal legislation in political limbo, too many nurses and their colleagues at the bedside remain at risk of life-altering injuries as they try to care for an increasing population of acutely ill, heavier patients without safe handling equipment.
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Technology is Great, but Use it With Caution
Case managers now have access to technology that makes their jobs easier, but should be careful to preserve patient confidentiality, experts say.
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Respite Care for Homeless After Discharge Cuts Avoidable Days, Readmissions
An $800,000 investment in a respite program that provides a place for homeless patients to recuperate after discharge has saved participating hospitals in Santa Rosa, CA, $17 million in the first three years.