The risky business of nursing

Nurses are exposed to a wide range of biological-infectious, chemical, environmental-mechanical, physical and psychosocial hazards. They are particularly vulnerable to infection and injuries, including musculoskeletal injuries, latex allergies and needlestick injuries. Nursing and midwifery is also the profession with the highest exposure to workplace violence.
Other factors that are threatening the health of nurses include inadequate staffing, long hours, early discharge and higher patient loads, increasing use of complex technological innovations and increasing numbers of very sick elderly patients. All these factors increase the psychological load on nurses and increase the risk of physical illness or injury.

The presence of healthy and well-rested nurses is critical to providing a high level of patient care, empathy and advocacy. If our nurses are not well cared for then how can we expect our patients to be?

An excerpt from the manual ‘Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses’ lead by Professor Alison Trinkoff, Work and Health Research Center, University of Maryland School of Nursing, investigates the main safety issues for nurses. Trinkoff presents sound arguments for the ethical and financial benefits of enhancing nurse safety in the workplace.
Trinkoff argues that improving nurse safety will help to retain nurses and attract new nurses into the profession. As many facilities are making important financial investments and system-level improvements to promote patient safety, she concludes that it is important to focus on improving worker safety as well. In the long run, she reports that these improvements will also benefit patients, as measures that are taken to improve safety for nurses should lead to a healthier and more effective workforce.
READ THE FULL CHAPTER HERE.
 
References

1. American Nurses Association. Safe patient handling and mobility: myth vs reality. NursingWorld.org.Accessed November 11, 2013.


2. 
   Occupational Health and Safety Risk Factors for Rural and Metropolitan Nurses: Comparative Results from a National Nurses Survey. 2008. Safe Work Australia. Health and Community Services.


3. Australian Nursing & Midwifery Federation. Workplace Health & Safety and workplace compensation. Cited Jan 2015.


4. Trinkoff AM et al. Patient Safety and Quality: An Evidence-Based Handbook for Nurses. Chapter 39, Personal Safety for Nurses. 2008. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality US.