Occupational Health

RN Safe Staffing Bill Introduced in Congress

The American Nurses Association (ANA) applauds the introduction of federal legislation that empowers registered nurses (RNs) to drive staffing decisions in hospitals and, consequently, protect patients and improve the quality of care. The Registered Nurse Safe Staffing Act ...More
3 weeks ago
Posted in News
Mandatory Influenza Testing for Hospital Personnel Enhances Patient Safety

As part of a comprehensive quality and patient safety program, a major national hospital network reported in the Journal of Healthcare Quality (JHQ) that more than 90 percent of its clinical personnel in the last three years received seasonal influenza vaccinations to help ...More
4 weeks ago
Posted in News, PPE & Standard Precautions
Organizational Culture Should Support Patient, Healthcare Worker Safety

The symbiotic relationship between patient safety and healthcare worker safety and the need for institutional championship of a safety of culture are the focus of a recent monograph released by the Joint Commission in late 2012. The document, "Improving Patient and Worker ...More
April 8, 2013
Posted in Articles, Policies and Practice
Sharps Injuries Have Major Health and Cost Impact for Surgeons

Injuries caused by needles and other sharp instruments are a major occupational hazard for surgeons—with high costs related to the risk of contracting serious infectious diseases, according to a special article in the April issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the ...More
April 2, 2013
Posted in News
Advice for Implementing Sharps Safety Strategies

ICT invited members of industry to share their perspectives on sharps safety strategies. What are the key benefits of proper and safe sharps disposal to healthcare workers and patients? Hospital staff should look for several things when considering a sharps management ...More
March 11, 2013
Posted in Articles
Health Law Expert Says Flu Vaccines Should be Mandated for Healthcare Workers

The widespread flu reports are a harsh reminder of the importance of influenza vaccines; this is particularly true for healthcare workers, says Elizabeth Sepper, JD, health law expert and professor of law at Washington University in St. Louis. “One-third of healthcare ...More
January 21, 2013
Posted in News, Policies and Practice, PPE & Standard Precautions
American College of Physicians Calls for Immunizations for All Healthcare Providers

The American College of Physicians (ACP) has approved a policy recommendation that all healthcare providers (HCPs) be immunized against influenza; diphtheria; hepatitis B; measles, mumps, and rubella; pertussis (whooping cough); and varicella (chickenpox) according to the ...More
January 14, 2013
Posted in News, Policies and Practice, PPE & Standard Precautions
Safe in Common to Host Second in Series of Online Sharps Safety Conferences

Safe in Common (SIC), the non-profit organization of healthcare safety advocates dedicated to eradicating needlestick and sharps-related injuries, today opened registration for its second online conference in a series of events addressing needlestick and sharps safety. The ...More
January 11, 2013
Posted in News, PPE & Standard Precautions
Poll Finds 84 Percent of Employed Americans Go to Work Sick

If you’ve ever gone to work sick, a recent study commissioned by Cintas Corporation shows that you’re not alone. The survey, conducted online in November 2012 by Harris Interactive among 2,249 U.S. adults ages 18 and older, revealed that 84 percent of employed adults admit ...More
December 28, 2012
Posted in News, Hand Hygiene
Ground-Breaking Workplace Safety Benefit Designed to Protect Nurses from Needlesticks, Violence

Registered nurses at Centinela Hospital in Inglewood, Calif. have approved a new agreement that most notably includes a precedent-setting needlestick and workplace violence insurance benefit funded by the employer, the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United ...More
December 7, 2012
Posted in News, Policies and Practice