In many healthcare facilities, nurses are the employees with the most direct contact with patients. They are the ones holding a woman’s hand and providing emotional support during labor. They are the ones changing dressings and swapping out bedpans. They are the ones comforting family members during a loved one’s health battles. This also means they are often the target of patient violence. Healthcare employees, particularly nurses, are at an increased risk for workplace violence. […]
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Infection Control in Occupational Health: CDC Seeks to Update Guidelines
Late last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sought feedback from the healthcare community on a draft guideline, Infection Control in Healthcare Personnel: Infrastructure and Routine Practices for Occupational Infection Prevention and Control Services. Specifically, the CDC is looking to “facilitate the provision of occupational infection prevention and control services to healthcare personnel and to prevent transmission of infections between healthcare personnel and others.” The CDC is updating two sections addressing protocol […]
Read MoreWe must continue to assess nurse staffing and patient safety
Among her many well-known quotes, Florence Nightingale gave us a simple but meaningful one that has resonated over the centuries: “For the sick it is important to have the best.” Then, as now, providing the best patient care calls for having the best nurses with the best training and the best staffing — also known as nurse staffing and patient safety. These three — along with advanced and continuing education, appropriate orientation and training, and good […]
Read MoreWhat to Know about New Management Standards for Hazardous Waste Pharmaceuticals
Healthcare entities are facing several changes when it comes to managing pharmaceuticals considered to be hazardous waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). These entities include hospitals, pharmacies, dentists, nursing and long-term care (LTC) facilities, as well as clinics and reverse distributors. The final rule for the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Management Standards for Hazardous Waste Pharmaceuticals was released in the Federal Register on Feb. 22, 2019, and outlines a new set of […]
Read MoreSeven Pharmacy Regulations Health Execs Must Watch
Health system executives are finding it difficult to stay ahead of the multiple trends culminating at once—reimbursement pressures, rising drug costs, regulatory complexity (340B), and the central role of pharmacy in value-based care. Ed Francis, a senior director of life sciences at West Monroe Partners, says changes in drug pricing represents a particularly important issue that health executives will need to watch out for in the coming year, starting with optimizing the drug rebate system. […]
Read MoreWe Could All Learn a Lot From ‘HIPAA 101’
This post, We Could All Learn a Lot From ‘HIPAA 101’, first appeared on https://www.workforce.com. by Andie Burjek The Edelman Trust Barometer for 2019 revealed some interesting points about trust in health care. Lynn Hanessian, chief strategist at Edelman, shared some major takeaways for employers at the recent Midwest Business Group on Health annual conference in Chicago. She shared some interesting findings about what sources people trust for information. Key findings were that […]
Read MoreThree Key Recommendations to Improve HIPAA Compliance
This post, Three Key Recommendations to Improve HIPAA Compliance, first appeared on https://thedoctorweighsin.com. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) mandates industry-wide standards for proper management of health care information and electronic billing. HIPAA compliance requires protection as well as the confidential handling of all protected health information (PHI). According to HIPAA rules, any company that deals with protected information must have a physical network and security measures that are followed to ensure compliance. […]
Read More$10.5 Million in Worker Training Grants are Available Through OSHA
This post, $10.5 Million in Worker Training Grants are Available Through OSHA, first appeared on https://www.ehstoday.com. Nonprofit organizations searching for ways to help their workers identify and prevent workplace injuries now have an opportunity to apply for training grants through OSHA. The agency opened $10.5 million in available funds through Susan Harwood Training Grants for community and faith-based organizations, employer associations, labor unions, joint labor/management associations, Indian tribes, and colleges and universities. Harwood Training Grants […]
Read MoreSafety first: Protecting health care workers and patients
This post, Safety first: Protecting health care workers and patients, first appeared on https://www.devex.com. Needlestick injuries, or NSIs, among health care workers remain a global burden. Accurate data is difficult to ascertain as injuries often go unreported even to this date. The World Health Organization estimated that among the 35 million health care workers worldwide, about 3 million receive percutaneous exposures to bloodborne pathogens each year; 2 million of those to hepatitis B, 0.9 million to hepatitis […]
Read MoreIs texting at work acceptable for nurses?
This post, Is texting at work acceptable for nurses?, first appeared on https://www.nurse.com/. A nurse reader asked what she should do about a personal text message she sent to her husband’s ex-wife. The reader did not include what she sent the ex-wife, but whatever the message, her employer charged her with “improper telephone communication” for texting at work. The reader’s supervisor told her the ex-wife personally came to the hospital to complain about the text […]
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