Archive for: June, 2011
A look at IC’s top ten challenges
As 4,000 infection control professionals convened at the APIC annual meeting in Baltimore June 27-29, HCPro’s HealthLeaders Media asked some of them What’s uppermost on their minds? What do they think are the most pressing problems, issues and concerns they hope to address?
Infection control group announces film fest winners
The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) announced the winners of a film festival to promote safe practices in healthcare during its annual meeting in Baltimore, June 27.
OSHA goes interactive with recordkeeping rule tool
Ever have those what-if questions concerning whether an injury is recordable or not for OSHA purposes? For example:
- An employee slips on ice in the company parking when reporting to work and loses one day of work, or
- An employee is hit by a car in the company parking when reporting to work and loses one day of work
Nurses also need adequate sleep for working safely
Similar to a recent report on working hazards for sleep deprived residents, nurses working extended shifts are affecting not only patient safety but also and their own well being at work.
Resident docs need more sleep for their own safety’s sake
While rules to limit work hours for first year residents will soon go into effect, a group of patient safety experts and physicians call for shortened duty hours for all residents, according to a white paper published in the journal Nature & Science of Sleep.
Requirements through the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) will curb shift lengths for first year residents starting July 1, but the white paper says that the current regulations are not enough to prevent medical errors and improve patient safety.
Using duct tape as an isolation precaution tool
Don’t ever underestimate the utility of duct tape—the stuff that literally holds the word together for the do-it-yourself types.
Now it seems that duct tape—the red color variety—can play a role in maintaining infection control policies, facilitate better communication between care providers and patients, and save nursing staff time.
Here are the details from HCPro’s HealthLeaders Media group, by Cheryl Clark, June 27:
Infection control organizations issue statement on touchless faucets in healthcare
In response to a widely reported study from Johns Hopkins Health System, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE), Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), and Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI), have formed a stakeholders coalition to study the issue of biofilm hazards and infection control concerns as it relates to manual and electronic faucets in the healthcare environment.
Weekly poll: Workplace flu shots
A CDC report shows that that the third most common location to receive seasonal flu shots for adults age 18 years or older in the U.S. is in the workplace. Given the special need for influenza vaccination among healthcare workers, does your workplace provide on-site flu shots for employees? Take our OSHA Healthcare Advisor Weekly Poll and let us know.
APIC introducing patients to infection preventionists
Raising patient awareness on the role played by infection preventionists in keeping them safe from infections while receiving care is the intent of a campaign launched by Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), June 23.
Nudging, a good way to get unstuck on flu shots
The likelihood of someone committing to an action, such as a flu shot, increases if you get them to write down the date and time.
Ask the expert: OSHA and baby-proof electrical outlets
Q: Does OSHA mandate electrical covers (baby proofing) in all patient areas? Ours is a pediatric practice, but the covers keep disappearing.
OSHA proposes recordkeeping changes
OSHA is proposing rule changes on when and what type of businesses are required to report workplace injuries.
Currently, OSHA requires employers to report within 8 hours all fatalities and injuries requiring the inpatient hospitalization of three or more workers. The proposed rule doesn’t affect reporting fatalities but would require, reporting within eight hours “all work-related in-patient hospitalizations,” according to “Occupational Injury and Illness Recording and Reporting Requirements–NAICS Update and Reporting Revisions,” Federal Register, Volume 76, Number 120, June 22, 2011.
