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8/13/2013 |
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In This Issue
• Protecting Health Care Workers
• Diabesity
• Latest News & Blog Posts
• Featured Author: Kevin Stansbury |
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Protecting Our Health Care Workers
By Catheryn Peplinski, MBA, RT, ARDMS July 2013
Much has changed since the passing of the federal Needlestick Safety and Protection Act in 2000. |
A health care topic that we will always need to revisit is the need for Needlestick safety and prevention. With our continuing introduction of new health care providers, the continued education process needs to be updated and stressed upon.
OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, including its 2001 revisions, applies to all employers who have employees with reasonably anticipated occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM). Employers must implement the applicable requirements set forth in the standard. Some of the provisions in the standard apply only to healthcare activities, but some of the provisions, particularly the requirements to update the Exposure Control Plan and to keep a sharps injury log, will apply to non-healthcare as well as healthcare activities.
Occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens from accidental sharps injuries in healthcare and other occupational settings continues to be a serious problem. If congress, with the help of health care lobbyist’s, felt that a modification to OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard was appropriate (29 CFR 1910.1030) to set forth in greater detail OSHA's requirement for employers to identify, evaluate, and implement safer medical devices, that means that we as heath care providers need to take the issue just as serious. The Act also mandated additional requirements for maintaining a sharps injury log and for the involvement of non-managerial healthcare workers in evaluating and choosing devices.
As an employer, we are required to maintain a log of occupational injuries and illnesses under 29 CFR 1904, we must also establish and maintain a sharps injury log for recording percutaneous injuries from contaminated sharps. The Sharps Log must contain, at a minimum, information about the injury, the type and brand of device involved in the injury (if known), the department or work area where the exposure occurred, and an explanation of how the incident occurred. The log must be recorded and maintained in such a manner so as to protect the confidentiality of the injured employee (e.g., removal of personal identifiers). Making sure that we educate all personal to the regulations and protocols of the facility should be mandatory and the lack of educating is not an excuse for noncompliance.
OSHA's Bloodborne Pathogens Standard applies to all employers with employees who have occupational exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM), regardless of how many workers are employed. However, workplaces with 10 or fewer employees are exempt from OSHA recordkeeping requirements and are also exempt from recording and maintaining a Sharps Injury Log. (See 29 CFR 1904 for applicability of recordkeeping requirements). All other applicable provisions of the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard still apply.
The standards that are set forth by the Needlestick Safety and Protection Act requires the annual consideration and implementation of appropriate engineering controls and solicitation of non-managerial healthcare workers in evaluating and choosing devices.
There are many resources available for employers and employees with regard to occupational exposure to blood pathogens and potentially infectious materials. First, of course, is the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard (29 CFR 1910.1030). You may access this information, as well as information from OSHA's Consultation and State Plan State Offices via OSHA's website at http://www.osha.gov. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also have several documents related to the prevention of occupational exposure to blood and OPIM.
The areas that need special attention to the improvement of safety techniques is: improved sharp safety in surgical settings, understand and reduce exposure risks in non-hospital settings (which include physicians’ offices, clinics, home healthcare, and an array of other settings), involve frontline workers in the selection of safety devices, address gaps in available safety devices, and encourage innovative designs and technology, and enhance worker education and training.
Needlestick injuries are preventable and should not be tolerated in any health care setting. We, as health care providers and health care organizations, are charged with ensuring safety and preventing harm to patients and employees. Employees need to hold the organization for which they work, accountable for following the law and refuse any less. In return, the organization needs to hold its employees to the same high standards of practice in order to maintain a safe environment.
Sources:
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-106publ430/html/PLAW-106publ430.htm
http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/WorkplaceSafety/Healthy-Work-Environment/SafeNeedles/Joint-Release-Sharps-Injury-Prevention.pdf
Pedagogy's "Bloodborne Pathogens" class is focused on staff safety and protecting health care workers. OSHA the Occupation Safety and Health Administration is a government agency that sets strict guidelines for the management of toxic and hazardous materials. Any organization or employee that has a potential for exposure to blood or other potentially infections materials are required to follow OSHA guidelines to minimize transmission of infection due to exposure to a bloodborne pathogen.
This online education course will review the definitions of bloodborne pathogens, transmission, bloodborne illnesses, and the effective means of prevention of transmission of diseases that may be caused by bloodborne pathogens. Employers must be familiar with the requirements of OSHA in providing and implementing an Exposure Control Plan and setting infection control practices to prevent and reduce the spread of infection in health care settings.
To learn more about the classes that Pedagogy offers click the link below.
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Diabesity: Diabetes + Obesity
Diabesity: The 21st Century Pandemic
Obesity is the #1 cause of Type 2 Diabetes which is accounts for 90-95% of the 26 million people who have Diabetes. It is estimated that 80% of people with Type 2 are obese or overweight.
According to the CDC: |
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8 of 10 Americans over the age of 25 are overweight. 58 million Americans are overweight, 40 million are Obese and 3 Million are morbidly Obese. Over two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight or obese, and over one-third are obese, according to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003–2006 and 2007–2008.
Children: Data from the NHANES survey (2003–2006) indicate that approximately 12.4 percent of children age 2 to 5 and 17 percent of children age 6 to 11 were overweight.***About 17.6 percent of adolescents (age 12 to 19) were overweight in 2003–2006.
Cost: On average, people who are considered obese pay $1,429 (42 percent) more in health care costs than normal-weight individuals.
Cost of obesity by insurance status for each obese beneficiary:
• Medicare pays $1,723 more than it pays for normal-weight beneficiaries.
• Medicaid pays $1,021 more than it pays for normal-weight beneficiaries.
• Private insurers pay $1,140 more than they pay for normal-weight beneficiaries.
Cost of obesity by the type of service provided for each obese patient:
• Medicare pays $95 more for an inpatient service, $693 more for a non-inpatient service, and $608 more for prescription drugs in comparison with normal-weight patients.
• Medicaid pays $213 more for an inpatient service, $175 more for a non-inpatient service, and $230 more for prescription drugs in comparison with normal-weight patients.
• Private insurers pay $443 more for an inpatient service, $398 more for a non-inpatient service, and $284 more for prescription drugs in comparison with normal-weight patients.
To learn more about diabetes courses, click on the course name below:
Diabetes: An Introduction
Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion for the School Nurse
Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion in Long Term Care (CSII)
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Featured Author: Kevin Stansbury
Kevin Stansbury
MBA, BS, RN, VA-BC
Kevin Stansbury, MBA, BS, RN, VA-BC, is a Registered Nurse with over 25 years experience in the medical field including critical care, emergency medicine, and infusion therapy. He is currently living and working in the Central Valley of California. Kevin is a 13-year veteran of the U.S. Army where he served as a combat medic and nurse. He received several military decorations during his tours in Desert Shield and Desert Storm, including an Army Achievement Medal, an Army Commendation Medal, and the Kuwaiti Liberation Medal. Kevin also received his Expert Field Medical Badge while serving two tours in Korea.
Kevin is currently working as a registered nurse in the emergency room as well as working for Central Valley Medical. He is also a clinical instructor for IV Therapy, Basic Life Support (CPR), and EKG's. Kevin currently serves as a reviewer for the Journal of Infusion Nursing. He is a current member of the Infusion Nurses Society (INS), the Association for Vascular Access (AVA), and the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA.) He is also a sitting member on the board for the local network of AVA in the Central Valley also known as (CVAN).
Kevin has authored serveral Pedagogy courses. Click on each course name below to learn more:
"Advanced Airway Management for Nursing"
"Blood and Body Fluid Spill Management"
"Bloodborne Pathogens"
"EKG Recognition"
"Hazard Communication"
"Intraosseous Access Devices"
"Moderate Sedation"
"Workplace Harassment" |
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