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Several of your staff are in the first trimester of pregnancy. Youre thrilled for them, but you want to make sure they arent exposed to chemicals or radiation that might impair the fetus. One staff member brings in a note from her OB/GYN saying to follow guidelines for pregnant staff in the OR, but you cant find any state or federal guidelines.
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Employee health professionals are beginning to retire, leaving opportunities for other nurses to move into the field and raising the value of the more seasoned, experienced practitioners.
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Five years after the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act became law, hospitals have made a dramatic shift to safety devices, bringing about a decline of one-third to one-half in the rate of needlesticks among health care workers.
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If a major disaster struck your community, how many of your employees would show up for work?
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Even before hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck the Gulf Coast, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations in Oakbrook Terrace, IL, worried that small communities were not doing enough to prepare for a disaster.
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Editors note: This e-mail was written by Pamela McVey, RN, CIC, chief nursing officer at Biloxi (MS) Regional Medical Center, to a chief nursing officer in Natchez, MS. McVey was formerly director of infection control/employee health at the hospital. She gave Hospital Employee Health permission to reprint this e-mail, and added this postscript: " We all understand that there is no getting back to normal. We are now in the process of redefining what is normal. There is a great spirit here in the coastal counties of Mississippi. Well be OK."
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Health care workers were heroes of Hurricane Katrina as they worked under grueling conditions to keep their patients alive despite lack of electricity, air conditioning and water, and sewer service.
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Allegations of sexual misconduct must be taken seriously, and risk managers should have steps in place to both prevent them and respond appropriately.
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Sexual boundary violations often are not overtly "wrong" until you put all the pieces together and see that the health care professional is no longer maintaining a professional distance from the patient.
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Sexual misconduct or harassment of patients in health care can be a major liability risk and probably happens more than you think, say a risk manager and attorney who are experienced in dealing with such issues.