Hospital Employee Health – September 1, 2023

Safe Patient Handling Programs: If Not Now, When?

In a time of lean hospital budgets and staff shortages, the cost-benefit equation tilts heavily in favor of implementing a safe patient handling and mobility program to prevent occupational injuries, retain staff, and improve patient outcomes.

Sterile Supply Staff Exposed to Contaminated Droplets and Sprays

Cleaning and reprocessing reusable sterile equipment create droplets and sprays of water that soak healthcare workers and travel as far as seven feet into the decontamination room, researchers reported recently.

Know HCV Status to Take Effective New Medicines

The prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection is significantly higher in healthcare workers than in the general population. Healthcare workers could access effective medications with few side effects by testing for the virus and pursuing treatment. However, high costs and insurance barriers hinder these efforts.

Violence Continues as Some Question Need for OSHA Regulation

The reams of research, news reports, and first-hand accounts continue to accumulate, revealing rampant danger in healthcare that grew worse during the pandemic. Yet there remains resistance to an OSHA standard, with few denying there is a problem while others argue a regulation would be duplicative of recommendations that are not working.

MRSA Carriers Linked to Outbreaks Can Be Decolonized Successfully

The authors of a new consensus document recommend screening healthcare personnel for infection or colonization if they are epidemiologically linked to a cluster of such infections.