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Safe patient handling has been a hallmark of employee health. But perhaps it should also be a rallying point for patient safety advocates.
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After his cheek was fractured when a patient smashed a fist into his jaw in the emergency department, Jeaux Rinehart, RN, BSN, PHN, figured he'd had enough. He worked for 32 years as an emergency room nurse and loved it, but finally he could no longer tolerate patients hitting, yelling, cursing, or spitting at him.
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The Joint Commission targets central lineassociated bloodstream infections in its 2011 national patient safety goals, with NPSG.07.04.01 calling for hospitals to "implement evidence-based practices to prevent (CLABSIs)."
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Late in her pregnancy and fearful of the flu vaccine, the nurse wanted to hold off on immunization. At her hospital, though, the flu vaccine was mandatory. Get the shot or lose your job, her supervisor told her.
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The Joint Commission recently posted the following answer to a frequent asked question on catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs).
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In its compliance directive on workplace violence, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration advises employers to conduct a hazard analysis, assess needs for physical changes to reduce risk, provide employee training, and implement a variety of controls, such as bright lighting and security cameras.
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The Joint Commission recently posted the following answer to a frequently asked question on screening for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).
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Hospitals are places of high emotion and drama, of pain and fear, of last resort, and sometimes of desperation. In this patient-centered world, there has been a high tolerance of aggressive or explosive behavior. But not anymore.
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The Joint Commission's new National Patient Safety Goal (NPSG) on preventing indwelling catheter-associated urinary tract infections which emphasizes prompt removal of unnecessary devices and surveillance for CAUTIs is effective January 1, 2012 for hospitals.
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Imagine this scenario: A nurse has soreness and back pain related to patient handling and other work duties. A certified athletic trainer recommends a regimen of stretching and exercises to reduce the pain. Does that make the injury recordable?
