Category: Healthcare
Providing Clarity Regarding the Regulation of Respirators Used in Health Care Settings
A Discussion Paper, Streamlining Regulatory Oversight of Respirators Used in Health Care Settings will Improve Worker Protection, was recently published in the National Academy of Medicine’s NAM Perspectives journal by respiratory experts outside of the federal government. This paper highlights continued confusion amongst interested parties including health care organizations and manufacturers seeking approval regarding Read More >
Posted on by 12 CommentsImpact Wellbeing™ Guide Workshop Series Brings Together Hospital Leaders to Improve Healthcare Worker Wellbeing
NIOSH’s Impact Wellbeing™ campaign gives hospital leaders evidence-informed solutions to reduce healthcare worker burnout and sustain wellbeing. The goal is to build a system where healthcare workers thrive. It helps hospital leaders go beyond individual resilience efforts and encouraging self-care to instead focus on systems-level improvements. Many hospitals face challenges getting started or have concerns Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsPrioritizing our Healthcare Workers: The Importance of Addressing the Intersection of Workplace Violence and Mental Health and Wellbeing
Workplace violence impacts the mental health and wellbeing of the healthcare workforce. The negative outcomes not only affect the healthcare worker but can trickle down to patient safety and satisfaction. It is important that healthcare institutions implement workplace violence prevention programs that benefit the entire healthcare workforce. This blog post highlights current efforts across Read More >
Posted on by 8 CommentsProtecting the Well-being of the Nation’s Health Workforce
The American Journal of Public Health recently published a special supplement with 15 articles focusing on health worker mental health. As part of this special issue, our article Protecting the Mental Health and Well-being of the Nation’s Health Workforce summarizes the scope of the issue and prevention efforts underway at the Centers for Disease Control and Read More >
Posted on byAJPH Highlights Health Worker Mental Health
The American Journal of Public Health recently published a special supplement with 15 articles focusing on health worker mental health. This special issue of the journal was sponsored and edited by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and stems from the health worker mental health initiative from the Centers for Disease Control Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentWant to Improve the Well-Being of Health Workers? The System Itself Must Change
The pandemic has brought attention to the safety, health, and well-being of workers in healthcare. Recent efforts to address these issues include, the Office of the Surgeon General’s Addressing Health Worker Burnout,(1) an “Advisory on Building a Thriving Health Workforce,” from the National Academy of Medicine’s National Plan for Healthcare Workforce Wellbeing (2) and Read More >
Posted on by 4 CommentsBloodborne Pathogen Exposures Continue in Operating Room Settings
Despite legislation and improved technology, data from Massachusetts hospitals show that sharps injuries have increased in the operating room (OR) [1]. These injuries place healthcare workers at risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens (BBPs). There is an urgent need to renew efforts to protect healthcare workers inside the operating room. The Massachusetts data highlight a gap Read More >
Posted on bySafety Culture in Healthcare Settings
As of 2019, more than 18 million people, 11.5 % of the United States workforce, were employed in healthcare settings. Everyday healthcare workers face hazardous work conditions due to exposures to infectious agents and hazardous drugs and chemicals. Examples include: Influenza Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) Mycobacterium tuberculosis Antineoplastic agents Surgical smoke Disinfectants Physical Read More >
Posted on by 7 CommentsWorkplace Safety and Health in a Barbie World
As the occupational safety and health community continues to combat very real and serious hazards, we are closing out the summer with a little fun. This summer Barbie and friends have recaptured national attention breaking box office records with movie ticket sales exceeding one billion dollars in just a few weeks. While Barbie’s first “job” Read More >
Posted on by 4 CommentsWorking Hours and Fatigue: Meeting the Needs of American Workers and Employers
In November 2022, the American Journal of Industrial Medicine (AJIM) published a special issue focusing on work-related fatigue. The issue explores factors that may increase work-related fatigue and actions to reduce work-related injuries and illnesses. [1] This issue is a result of discussions and collaborations from the 2019 NIOSH Working Hours, Sleep and Fatigue Forum Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentCritical Steps Your Workplace Can Take Today to Prevent Suicide
Employers can play a vital role in suicide prevention. Historically, suicide, mental health, and well-being have been underrepresented in workplace health and safety efforts, but this is changing. In some European countries, there are workplace standards for workplace psychosocial hazards that put workers at risk for suicide. Additionally, in France, employers have been made Read More >
Posted on byViolence Against Public Health Workers
Many workers who were on the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic experienced increased physical and mental stress. One study found that 70% of U.S. workers felt more stressed at work during COVID-19 than at any other point in their professional careers [1]. Public health workers, including epidemiologists, contact tracers, laboratory scientists, community health workers, Read More >
Posted on by 1 CommentPre-pandemic Mental Health and Well-being of Healthcare Workers
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers faced substantial work-related stress. Most research on the mental health and well-being of healthcare workers has focused on physicians and nurses, with less attention paid to other healthcare occupations. Recent research from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) evaluated the pre-pandemic mental health and well-being Read More >
Posted on by 7 CommentsHealth Worker Mental Health Initiative
A new Surgeon General’s Advisory highlights the urgent need to address the health worker burnout crisis across the country. Workers providing health services face many on-the-job challenges that can lead to work-related stress. For many of the 20 million health workers in the U.S., the COVID-19 pandemic has led to new and worsening mental health Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsSuicide Prevention for Healthcare Workers
Some occupations are known to have higher rates of suicide than others (see related blogs). Job factors – such as low job security, low pay, and job stress – can contribute to risk of suicide, as can easy access to lethal means among people at risk—such as medications or firearms. Other factors that can influence the link between occupation and suicide include gender, socioeconomic status, the economy, cultural factors, and stigma. Read More >
Posted on by 3 CommentsHome Healthcare Workers: A Growing and Diverse Workforce at High Risk for Workplace Violence
Home healthcare workers provide healthcare services to millions of Americans who need assistance at home. Home healthcare workers work closely with patients and often are in close contact with the public while they provide healthcare services to patients. Both situations can pose increased risks for exposure to workplace violence [1],[2]. The issue of violence Read More >
Posted on by 16 CommentsAdvancements in Elastomeric Respirator Technology for Use as Source Control
Respirator design is constantly improving and evolving to meet new challenges. Manufacturers have recently developed innovative NIOSH-approved elastomeric half mask respirator (EHMR) designs that both protect the wearer as well as provide adequate source control – protecting others by filtering the wearer’s exhaled air that may contain harmful viruses or bacteria. EHMRs are being used more Read More >
Posted on by 11 CommentsLighting Interventions to Reduce Circadian Disruption in Rotating Shift Workers
Shift work has been linked to poor sleep, chronic metabolic disorders (e.g., cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity), several forms of cancer [1-3], depression, and elevated risk for the occurrence of accidents. These risks are especially acute for those who work rotating shifts that involve working through the night [4-8], as sometimes occur in hospitals. Read More >
Posted on byCelebrating Nurses
Could there be a more fitting year to honor nurses? As 2020 comes to a close, so does our blog series celebrating the Year of the Nurse. The COVID-19 pandemic has tested our healthcare system and, in some cases, pushed it to the brink. Nurses and other healthcare professionals are working tirelessly and sacrificing much Read More >
Posted on by 6 CommentsPreventing Needlesticks and Sharps Injuries: Reflecting on the 20th Anniversary of the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act
November marked the 20th anniversary of the passage of the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act (PL 106-430) into law. The act required that OSHA amend its Bloodborne Pathogens Standard to include additional protections for workers to prevent occupational exposures to blood and body fluids. This included: new requirements for the evaluation and use of engineering Read More >
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