Essentials in Return to Work Issues: A Manufacturing Worker With Prostate Cancer
To manage potential disabilities, the occupational and environmental health nurse has an extensive understanding of disability issues, provides functional worker assessments, and meets business requirements. They appropriately assess worker health issues and offer creative solutions to address both worker and business needs. (Source: Workplace Health and Safety)
Source: Workplace Health and Safety - November 28, 2016 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Sandal, C. L. Tags: Current Topics Source Type: research
Respiratory Protection Toolkit: Providing Guidance Without Changing Requirements--Can We Make an Impact?
(Source: Workplace Health and Safety)
Source: Workplace Health and Safety - November 28, 2016 Category: Occupational Health Tags: CE Module Source Type: research
Respiratory Protection Toolkit: Providing Guidance Without Changing Requirements--Can We Make an Impact?
International travel and infectious respiratory illnesses worldwide place health care workers (HCWs) at increasing risk of respiratory exposures. To ensure the highest quality safety initiatives, one health care system used a quality improvement model of Plan-Do-Study-Act and guidance from Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) May 2015 Hospital Respiratory Protection Program (RPP) Toolkit to assess a current program. The toolkit aided in identification of opportunities for improvement within their well-designed RPP. One opportunity was requiring respirator use during aerosol-generating procedures for...
Source: Workplace Health and Safety - November 28, 2016 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Bien, E. A., Gillespie, G. L., Betcher, C. A., Thrasher, T. L., Mingerink, D. R. Tags: Continuing Education Source Type: research
Ergonomic Risk Factors and Their Association With Lower Back and Neck Pain Among Pharmaceutical Employees in Iran
This study included 396 employees who worked in packaging units of pharmaceutical companies. The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire and the rapid upper limb assessment (RULA) were used to generate data. This study showed an association between LBP, RULA scores, and workers’ education. For neck pain, an association was found with age, gender, and subjective questions about working posture (mostly sitting/standing or alternating between the two). Absence from work more than 3 days, which could have been associated with pain, was significantly associated with both disorders. (Source: Workplace Health and Safety)
Source: Workplace Health and Safety - November 28, 2016 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Labbafinejad, Y., Imanizade, Z., Danesh, H. Tags: Research Articles Source Type: research
Musculoskeletal Injury Prevention for New Nurses
Nurses continue to sustain musculoskeletal injuries even with increased emphasis on safe patient handling and mobility (SPHM) and organizational cultures of safety to protect health care workers. Analysis of data from 2011-2014 registered nurse graduates explored hospital safety culture, SPHM education/training, and incidence of new-nurse musculoskeletal injury. Results indicated hospitals provided some type of SPHM education and training, but 46% of study participants were not informed or aware of national SPHM standards or guidelines. Merely 13.9% of participants stated a written "no manual lifting policy" had been imple...
Source: Workplace Health and Safety - November 28, 2016 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Vendittelli, D., Penprase, B., Pittiglio, L. Tags: Research Articles Source Type: research
The American Association of Occupational Health Nurses Respiratory Protection Education Program and Resources Webkit for Occupational Health Professionals
This article describes the development, content, and success of this training. To date, 724 participants have completed the training, 32.6% of whom lead their organization’s respiratory protection program, 15.3% who indicated they will lead a program in the near future, and 52% who did not lead a program, but indicated that the training was relevant to their work. The majority "strongly agreed" the training was applicable to their work and it enhanced their professional expertise. (Source: Workplace Health and Safety)
Source: Workplace Health and Safety - November 28, 2016 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Pompeii, L., Byrd, A., Delclos, G. L., Conway, S. H. Tags: Professional Practice Source Type: research
Osteoporosis
Occupational and environmental health nurses should educate workers about healthy lifestyle choices such as proper nutrition and exercise to prevent osteoporosis and reduce the risk of fractures. (Source: Workplace Health and Safety)
Source: Workplace Health and Safety - November 9, 2016 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Randolph, S. A. Tags: Current Topics Source Type: research
Methylmercury Exposure in Women of Childbearing Age and Children
(Source: Workplace Health and Safety)
Source: Workplace Health and Safety - November 9, 2016 Category: Occupational Health Tags: CE Module Source Type: research
Methylmercury Exposure in Women of Childbearing Age and Children
As frontline clinicians, occupational and environmental health nurses play an important role in educating workers and the public about the dangers and toxic effects of environmental contaminants. One of these contaminants is methylmercury, which enters the body through the consumption of contaminated fish and seafood. Methylmercury affects the central nervous system where it may cause psychiatric disturbances, ataxia, neuropathy, and visual and hearing loss. Because their central nervous systems are rapidly developing, the most vulnerable subgroups are infants in utero, babies, and young children. Pregnant women and nursin...
Source: Workplace Health and Safety - November 9, 2016 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Colvin, N. E., Mahan, P. L., Harris, J. Tags: Continuing Education Source Type: research
Culturally Sensitive Education Can Decrease Hispanic Workers Risk of Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is a continuing problem in the United States, and the Hispanic population is at increased risk of developing complications from this disease process. Many of the workers at a South Jersey yacht-building company are Hispanic, and a culturally sensitive education program was implemented to improve their overall health. Program assessments included the Latino Dietary Behavior Questionnaire (LDBQ), anthropomorphic measurements, and laboratory studies both pre and post intervention. The intervention included a Spanish-language lecture on metabolic syndrome and healthy nutrition, followed by an interactive cul...
Source: Workplace Health and Safety - November 9, 2016 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Marks, S. Tags: Research Articles Source Type: research
Security Personnel Practices and Policies in U.S. Hospitals: Findings From a National Survey
Concerns of violence in hospitals warrant examination of current hospital security practices. Cross-sectional survey data were collected from members of a health care security and safety association to examine the type of personnel serving as security in hospitals, their policies and practices related to training and weapon/restraint tool carrying/use, and the broader context in which security personnel work to maintain staff and patient safety, with an emphasis on workplace violence prevention and mitigation. Data pertaining to 340 hospitals suggest security personnel were typically non-sworn officers directly employed (7...
Source: Workplace Health and Safety - November 9, 2016 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Schoenfisch, A. L., Pompeii, L. A. Tags: Research Articles Source Type: research
How the Non-Work Environment Can Affect Worker and Family Health
This article addresses some of the major exposures employees encounter outside the workplace—air, water, and soil pollution, and hazardous wastes—including a discussion of several well-known national and international environmental incidents. The major sources of these pollutants and how they contaminate the environment were investigated. Finally, risk assessment and communication along with effective strategies for educating employees and the community are presented. (Source: Workplace Health and Safety)
Source: Workplace Health and Safety - November 9, 2016 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Rittle, C. Tags: Professional Practice Source Type: research
Response
(Source: Workplace Health and Safety)
Source: Workplace Health and Safety - November 9, 2016 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Gilliam, T. B. Tags: Letter to the Editor Source Type: research
Concerns With Medical and Pharmacy Costs for New Hire Nurses Following a Physical Strength Evaluation Screening in a Large Health System
(Source: Workplace Health and Safety)
Source: Workplace Health and Safety - November 9, 2016 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Burchill, C. N., McClelland, M., Siegmund, L. A. Tags: Letter to the Editor Source Type: research
Workplace Romance Can Be Sexual Harassment: Time to Mandate Preventive and Protective Sensitivity Training
Sensitivity training for workplace romance (WPR) and sexual harassment (SHM) across workplaces should be mandated because this knowledge may protect employees and employers by preventing workplace romanticism–sexism. (Source: Workplace Health and Safety)
Source: Workplace Health and Safety - October 16, 2016 Category: Occupational Health Authors: Gupta, D., Pallekonda, V. Tags: Current Topics Source Type: research
