Healthcare Workers: Protecting Those Who Protect Our Health

Details

• Personal Author:
  Lipscomb, Jane A. ; Rosenstock, Linda
• Description:
  The nation's healthcare system is in a transition of potentially historic proportions, driven by the need for cost-effectiveness under pressures of cost containment and competition, but also made possible by scientific and technological breakthroughs. This transition presents new challenges and opportunities for protecting the health and safety of our nation's healthcare workers. Toward the goal of maximizing future opportunities for the primary prevention of illnesses and injuries among healthcare workers, a brief review of history in relationship to this work force should assist us in identifying successful models for future action. In the United States, the practice of occupational health dates back to the late 1800s. National professional societies in occupational medicine and nursing were established in 1916 and 1942, respectively. The hospital and healthcare environments did not become a focus of study and prevention strategies until much later. In fact, as recently as the 1950's, there still was no consensus regarding the occupational risk of tuberculosis (tB) exposure. It has been suggested that a number of factors drove this lack of consensus, including the fear that young women would avoid nursing if they knew the risks involved and that liability might surface. It was not unti1 tB declined significantly in the general public but remained elevated in the medical profession that 1B was recognized fully as an occupational hazard. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Anesthesia Bacterial Infections Blood Blood-Borne Pathogens Communicable Diseases Health Personnel Hematologic Diseases Hypersensitivity Occupational Diseases Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Safety Viral Diseases

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• Keywords:
  Allergies Anesthetics Bacterial-disease Bacterial-infections Bloodborne-pathogens Cytotoxins Health-care Health-care-personnel Hepatitis Nursing Occupational-diseases Occupational-exposure Occupational-medicine-programs Viral-diseases

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• ISSN:
  0899-823X
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  District of Columbia ; OSHA Region 3
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  OD - Office of the Director
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  397-399
• Volume:
  18
• Issue:
  6
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20034022
• Citation:
  Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 1997 Jun; 18(6):397-399
• Contact Point Address:
  L. Rosenstock, Director, NIOSH, Hubert H. Humphrey Bldg, Room 71511, 200 Independence Ave SW, Washington, DC 20201
• CAS Registry Number:
  Ethylene oxide (CAS RN 75-21-8)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1997
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:730a1bd6f66efbb93164692cf1071b2829faa0fb373b4b07711ecfcf91f73e9db1bed095dc6a03711955073f409b264929b2897b0790cf0dd28225c42a4781f4
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/189410/cdc_189410_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 72.76 KB ]