-
Two years of the Fall Prevention -- Safety Monitor Volunteer Program at Hartford (CT) Hospital have yielded significant results, says Christine Waszynski, APRN, a geriatric nurse practitioner and clinical nurse specialist in the geriatrics program. (See the charts above and on p. 20.) In addition to reducing falls 46%, analysis of the bed check results shows these findings:
-
Some of the best ways to prevent falls require personal, hands-on attention to individual patients, but hospitals don't have enough staff to provide as much of that tending as they would like. One hospital has found that volunteers are eager to do the job, and it has cut falls by a whopping 46% as a result.
-
No one enjoys paying their hospital professional liability (HPL) premiums, but paying too much is even worse. Your premium might be too high if the insurer is loading based on a broad geographical area, and it's up to you to ask the right questions.
-
Nurses' aides have more serious work-related musculoskeletal injuries than any other occupation, and registered nurses rank fifth in MSDs despite years of efforts to promote safe patient handling. Those and other dismal injury statistics spurred the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration to announce new, targeted inspections of nursing homes, an action that could ultimately increase scrutiny of hospitals as well.
-
Getting a flu shot doesn't provide as much protection as was previously reported, according to new analysis of more than 5,000 studies. Now it's time to be honest about the limitations of the vaccine to build trust with health care workers, says an international expert in risk communication.
-
Safer sharps do not eliminate the risk of hepatitis C for health care workers, but new drugs can spare them from a dire prognosis.
-
The Centers for Disease Control and Preventions new guidelines -- Immunization of Healthcare Personnel include the following highlights and updated recommendations:
-
Want help setting up a workplace wellness program that can improve the health of your employees? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is launching a National Healthy Worksite Program and will work with up to 15 employers in each of seven regions nationwide. This program does not provide grant funds, but participating employers will receive assistance in drafting policies, implementing programs and evaluating outcomes
-
Hospitals should boost the pertussis vaccination rates of their employees, track and report their influenza vaccination rates, and review employees' immunity to measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), according to updated recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
-
Mandatory influenza vaccination programs are gaining traction at hospitals around the country, but few hospitals have opted for the most stringent policies.
