Occupational health nursing

BACKGROUND: Repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation (rPMS) is a form of therapy that creates painless stimulation of deep muscle structures to improve motor function in people with physical impairment from brain or nerve disorders. Use of rPMS for people after stroke has been identified as a feasible approach to improve activities of daily living and functional ability. However, no systematic reviews have assessed the findings of available trials. The effect and safety of this intervention for people after stroke currently remain uncertain...

BACKGROUND: Staff turnover is a major issue for health care systems. In a time of labor shortage, it is critical to understand the motivational factors that underlie turnover intention in newly licensed nurses. PURPOSE: To examine whether different forms of motivation (the reasons for which nurses engage in their work) predict intention to quit the occupation and organization through distinct forms (affective and continuance) and targets (occupation and organization) of commitment...

BACKGROUND: Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent worldwide, but some groups are at greater risk. We aim to evaluate vitamin D levels in different occupations and identify groups vulnerable to vitamin D deficiency. METHODS: An electronic search conducted in Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and CINAHL Plus with Full Text generated 2505 hits; 71 peer-reviewed articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Occupations investigated included outdoor and indoor workers, shiftworkers, lead/smelter workers, coalminers, and healthcare professionals...

During the last two decades in Europe, the scope of activities regarding chronic diseases management in family medicine has increased while technical activities and preventative care have decreased. A new literature review and meta-analysis confirms that the use of electronic health records improves the quality of care. In the field of interprofessionnality, the task delegation in chronic care management to nurses or medical assistants is a source of satisfaction for these professionals. At the same time, this could improve patients' quality of life...

BACKGROUND: Evidence consistently shows that people with advanced dementia experience suboptimal end of life care compared to those with cancer; with increased hospitalisation, inadequate pain control and fewer palliative care interventions. Understanding the views of those service managers and frontline staff who organise and provide care is crucial in order to develop better end of life care for people with dementia. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Qualitative interviews and focus groups were conducted from 2013 to 2015 with 33 service managers and 54 staff involved in frontline care, including doctors, nurses, nursing and care home managers, service development leads, senior managers/directors, care assistants and senior care assistants/team leads...

The purpose of this pilot study was to explore the relationships between sleep, work practices, speed of processing, and 5-year motor vehicle crash risk among a group of older truck drivers. Anthropometric, demographic, and psychological data were recorded, along with health, sleep, and work histories from a sample of 23 truck drivers. Results from this pilot study suggest that physical fatigue may play a role in processing speed. Future studies should be designed with adequate power and include objective measures of sleep and repeated measures over time to determine 5-year MVC rates...

BACKGROUND: Working in Emergency Departments (EDs) entails high work pressure and stress due to witnessing human suffering and the unpredictable nature of the work. This environment puts personnel at risk of burnout. This analysis aims to assess burnout levels and associated risk factors among health workers in EDs in Palestinian hospitals. Also, it examines the association between burnout and workplace violence, as well as with job turnover. METHODS: Cross-sectional design utilising a self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from all workers at 14 EDs; 8 from the West Bank and 6 from the Gaza Strip...

PURPOSE: To study the known or suspected risk factors for sciatica: Tallness, overweight, smoking, leisure-time physical exercise, self-reported health and occupation, and how they predict hospitalizations due to sciatica. Only a few cohort studies have previously focused on the risk factors for sciatica. METHODS: The 13,095 subjects, free from low back disorders at the baseline in 1973-1976 were followed up to the end of 2011 via the Care Register for Health Care...

BACKGROUND: The availability of reliable and comprehensive information on the health workforce is crucial for workforce planning. In India, routine information sources on the health workforce are incomplete and unreliable. This paper addresses this issue and provides a comprehensive picture of India's health workforce. METHODS: Data from the 68th round (July 2011 to June 2012) of the National Sample Survey on the Employment and unemployment situation in India were analysed to produce estimates of the health workforce in India...

BACKGROUND: Medical response to mass-casualty incidents (MCIs) requires specialized training and preparation. Basic Disaster Life Support (BDLS) is a course designed to prepare health care workers for a MCI. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the confidence of health care professionals in Thailand to face a MCI after participating in a BDLS course. METHODS: Basic Disaster Life Support was taught to health care professionals in Thailand in July 2008. Demographics and medical experience were recorded, and participants rated their confidence before and after the course using a five-point Likert scale in 11 pertinent MCI categories...

INTRODUCTION: Emergency Department (ED) workers are prone to occupational violence, however the extent and impact of this may not be evenly felt across all roles in the ED. AIMS: Explore: 1) the rate of verbal abuse and physical assaults experienced by ED staff, 2) perceptions of safety, 3) attitudes towards security officers, and 4) formal reporting of incidents. METHODS: 330 ED workers were surveyed at four public hospitals in one metropolitan health service district in Queensland, Australia, including 179 nurses, 83 medical staff, 44 administration staff, 14 allied health, and 9 operational...

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of the Work Functioning Impairment Scale (WFun), a questionnaire to detect workers with health problems which affect their work, using an assessment by an occupational health nurse as objective standard. METHODS: The WFun was completed by 294 employees. The nurse interviewed to assess 1) health problems; 2) effects of health on their work; necessity for 3) treatment, 4) health care instruction, and 5) consideration of job accommodation...

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the competencies of occupational health nurses who collaborate with public health services. METHODS: Ten occupational health nurses who work for companies that collaborate with public health services were the subjects. They were the finalists selected from among those occupational health nurses who participated in a preparatory survey and phone interviews that inquired about their collaborative activity experiences with public health services; they were selected because of their greater experience with these collaborations...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate professional achievement and factors associated with occupational burnout among health professionals. METHODS: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 436 healthcare providers, consisting of 101 nurses, 81 doctors and 254 nursing technicians, all meeting pre-established inclusion criteria. Occupational burnout was detected using the Maslach occupational burnout inventory tool. Data were collected by self-administered questionnaires comprising questions concerning socio-demographics, education and training, and the Maslach occupational burnout inventory was used to identify levels of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and professional achievement...

OBJECTIVES: Burnout, a state of emotional exhaustion associated with negative personal and occupational outcomes, is prevalent among healthcare providers. A better understanding of the psychological factors that may be associated with resilience to burnout is essential to develop effective interventions. Self-compassion, which includes kindness toward oneself, recognition of suffering as part of shared human experience, mindfulness, and nonjudgment toward inadequacies and failures, may be one such factor...

BACKGROUND: Healthcare organisations are facing large demands in recruiting employees with adequate competency to care for the increasing numbers of elderly. High degrees of turnover and dissatisfaction with working conditions are common. The gendered notion of care work as 'women's work', in combination with low salaries and status, may contribute to negative work experiences. There is abundant information about the negative aspects of elderly care health services, but little is known about positive aspects of this work...

Purpose Oncology workers are occupationally exposed to antineoplastic drugs. This exposure can induce adverse health effects. In order to reduce their exposure, contamination on surfaces should be kept as low as possible. The main objective of this study was to monitor environmental contamination with cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, and methotrexate in oncology pharmacy and patient care areas in Canadian centers. The secondary objective was to describe the impact of some factors that may limit contamination. Methods This is a descriptive study...

Many oral chemotherapy agents have been approved over the last 15 years and are displacing or augmenting parenteral chemotherapy. As 8,000 Baby Boomers turn 65 years of age every day, more elders will migrate to long-term care and assisted living facilities, and consultant pharmacists may need to manage chemotherapy for the first time. Though many therapeutic classes of oral drugs are hazardous, the majority of oral chemotherapy agents are hazardous by virtue of their mechanisms of action. Previous hazardous drug-handling recommendations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association, and the Oncology Nursing Society have matured into new standards from the United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP), Chapter <800>, "Hazardous Drugs-Handling in Health Care Settings...

Objective: To analyze the insulin therapy waste disposal produced in the households of people with diabetes mellitus (DM). Method: Cross-sectional study with 105 Primary Care patients. Socio-demographic and clinical variables and insulin therapy practice were analyzed through the absolute and relative frequencies, Fisher's exact test and prevalence ratio (PR). Results: The association between types of insulin (60.0%), administered with a disposable syringe attached to a needle (80...

BACKGROUND: NICUs vary greatly in patient acuity and volume and represent a wide array of organizational structures, but the effect of these differences on NICU providers is unknown. This study sought to test the relation between provider burnout prevalence and organizational factors in California NICUs. METHODS: Provider perceptions of burnout were obtained from 1934 nurse practitioners, physicians, registered nurses, and respiratory therapists in 41 California NICUs via a validated 4-item questionnaire based on the Maslach Burnout Inventory...