Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) Nov 25, 2011
This report updates the previously published summary of recommendations for vaccinating health-care personnel (HCP) in the United States (CDC. Immunization of health-care workers: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices [ACIP] and the Hospital Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee [HICPAC]. MMWR 1997;46[No. RR-18]). For full report, click here or download PDF: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/rr/rr6007.pdf
Nursing Schools & Careers Your online resource for Nursing Education and Career Information. Due to the rapidly expanding and evolving nature of the health care system, careers in Nursing are expected to continue to grow significantly over the next decade. In addition, the role of the professional nurse is expanding to include an emphasis on leadership, management, advanced practice and education. Visit their website to learn more.
ABOHN announces the Availability of a Safety Management Credential for Certified Occupational Health Nurses... COHN-S/SM or COHN/SM
ASPHP
The Association of Safe Patient Handling Professionals is a non-profit association that brings together like-minded individuals that want to share ideas, support research, and advocate for sound regulatory activity that improves and promotes a safer working environment for all caregivers. We also seek to establish standards and practices for both the practitioner and the facilities where they work.
SafeLiftingPortal.com offers you instant access to a broad array of information, resources and services designed to support your safe patient handling and caregiver injury prevention programs.
The federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has released several new tools and models to aid emergency health care personnel during public health emergencies, such as hurricanes Katrina and Rita. They include standardized hospital bed definitions for organizations tracking the availability of beds; emergency preparedness models that provide guidance on personal protective equipment, decontamination, isolation/quarantine, and laboratory capacity; and an updated computer model for predicting the number and type of staff needed to respond to a major disease outbreak or bioterrorism attack on a given population. Additional disaster response tools and resources can be found on the AHRQ Web site.
JCAHO standard for LIPs and volunteers, stating need for immunity checks, immunization and post-exposure FU.
Standard IC.4.10
Once the hospital has prioritized its goals, strategies must be implemented to achieve those goals.
Rationale for IC.4.10
The hospital plans and implements interventions to address the IC issues that it finds important based on prioritized risks and associated surveillance data.
Elements of Performance for IC.4.10
1. Interventions are designed to incorporate relevant guidelines* for infection prevention and control activities.
Interventions are implemented which include the following (EPs 2 and 3):
2. A hospitalwide hand hygiene program that complies with current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) hand hygiene guidelines† Note: The preceding EP is not scored here. It is scored at National Patient Safety Goal 7, Requirement 7A.
3. Methods to reduce the risks associated with procedures, medical equipment,‡ and medical devices, including the following:
_ Appropriate storage, cleaning, disinfection, sterilization, and/or disposal of supplies and equipment
_ Reuse of equipment designated by the manufacturer as disposable in a manner that is consistent with regulatory and professional standards
_ The appropriate use of personal protective equipment
4. Implementation of applicable precautions, as appropriate, is based on the following:
- The potential for transmission
- The mechanism of transmission
- The care, treatment, and service setting
- The emergence and reemergence of pathogens in the community that could affect the hospital
Interventions are implemented which include the following (EPs 5–7):
5. Screening for exposure and/or immunity to infectious diseases that licensed independent practitioners, staff, student/trainees, and volunteers may come in contact with in their work is available as warranted
6. Referral for assessment, potential testing, immunization and/or prophylaxis/treatment, and counseling as appropriate of licensed independent practitioners, staff, students/trainees, and volunteers who are identified as potentially having an infectious disease or risk of infectious disease that may put the population they serve at risk
7. Referral for assessment, potential testing, immunization and/or prophylaxis/treatment, and counseling as appropriate of patients, students/trainees, and volunteers who have been exposed to infectious disease(s) at the hospital and licensed independent practitioners or staff who are occupationally exposed
8. Reduction of risks associated with animals brought into the hospital (such as, management of animal waste).
About Joint Commission: To continuously improve the safety and quality
of care provided to the public through the provision of health care
accreditation and related services that support performance improvement
in health care organizations. JCAHO
Website.
December 2006
Broadening the Reach for Best Practices of Handling Antineoplastic Drugs
Work of NIOSH researchers providing recommendations on best practices for controlling occupational exposures involving antineoplastic drugs in health care settings appears in the December 2006 issue of CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians (http://caonline.amcancersoc.org/current.shtml). The journal, which is published by the American Cancer Society, describes itself as the most widely circulated cancer journal in the world. The article, “Preventing Occupational Exposures to Antineoplastic Drugs in Health Care Settings,” broadens the audience reach of the 2004 NIOSH Alert on Hazardous Drugs (DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2004-165, http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2004-165/) to include oncologists, primary care physicians, and nurses. This is the most recent information available promoting safe handling of antineoplastic drugs for the more than 5.5 million healthcare workers potentially exposed. Recent studies have shown that workers continue to be exposed despite improvements in safety policies and procedures since the 1980s. Contact Tom Connor at TConnor@cdc.gov for more information.
NIOSH Offers Storm and Flood Cleanup Information Resources
Workers and volunteers involved with flood cleanup should be aware
of the potential dangers involved and the proper safety precautions,
according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
(NIOSH). Work-related hazards that could be encountered include electrical
hazards, carbon monoxide, musculoskeletal hazards, heat stress, motor
vehicles, hazardous materials, fire, confined spaces and falls. Links
to information about hazards associated with storm and flood cleanup
can be found on the NIOSH Web site at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/flood.
NIOSH recently released its 2004 Edition of the Worker Health Chartbook.
The Chartbook provides baseline and trend data to support researchers,
program development, and the evaluation of impact measures. The Chartbook
resources have been made available in a variety of formats (government
document, HTML, acrobat/PDF), and the underlying data and charts are
available for downloading as MS Excel files and encapsulated postscript
EPS files. The Chartbook includes more than 400 figures and tables.
The Web site for the Chartbook is available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/chartbook/. The data available to utilize from
this document will be reviewed along with how it can improve one’s
knowledge, skills and abilities in the use of occupational surveillance
information.
The National Immunization Program (NIP) is a part of the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, located in Atlanta, Georgia. As
a disease-prevention program, NIP provides leadership for the planning,
coordination, and conduct of immunization activities nationwide.
OSHA's mission is to assure the safety and health of America's workers
by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach,
and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual
improvement in workplace safety and health.
OSHA, Association of Occupational Health Professionals Renew Alliance dated October 10, 2006
WASHINGTON -- Occupational health professionals in healthcare settings have a new guidance document for patient handling, thanks to an Alliance established between OSHA and the Association of Occupational Health Professionals more than two years ago.
The Alliance will continue its focus on reducing and preventing exposure to patient-handling hazards, bloodborne diseases, and emergency preparedness in healthcare facilities.
OSHA Safety and Health Information Bulletin: Hazards Associated with All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) in the Workplace
While most
ATV-related injuries and fatalities occur during recreational use,
workplace use of ATVs is increasing in some industries. This
bulletin identifies: 1) the operating conditions and activities that
most often lead to ATV-related injuries and fatalities, 2)
guidelines and training employers can use to help protect employees,
and 3) work practices that employees can follow to reduce the
potential for ATV-related accidents.
Based First Receivers of Victims from Mass
Casualty Incidents Involving the Release of Hazardous Substances.
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center occupational health
Nursing Reference Center (NRC) Nursing Reference Center (NRC) is a web-based nursing reference system designed by the makers of CINAHL to provide the latest evidence-based clinical information for nursing practice, education and research at the point-of-care. Click here Nursing Reference Center for more information.
The Johns Hopkins Education and Research Center is one of 17 NIOSH-sponsored university academic programs in occupational health and safety in the US. We are recruiting experienced nurses interested in obtaining a graduate degree in occupational and environmental health. MPH, MSN/MPH, PhD and DrPH degree programs are offered. For more information, please contact Sheila Fitzgerald, PhD, RN at sfitzger@jhsph.edu or view the following link: http://www.jhsph.edu/erc/oehn.html
Availability of Influenza and PPSV Pocket Guides
This is the ninth consecutive year that the National Influenza Vaccine Summit will be producing laminated influenza vaccine pocket guides for front-line healthcare providers. As before, the Summit is pleased to be able to also provide pocket guides with information on the prevention of pneumococcal disease. The “2011-12 Influenza Vaccine Pocket Information Guide” is being revised in several areas to reflect the most current recommendations and issues in use of the vaccine. These include 1) rationale for why it is important to get this year’s vaccine, even though the vaccine viruses did not change from the previous year, 2) which children need two doses of vaccine, 3) vaccination of persons with egg allergy 4) the addition of an intradermal form of inactivated vaccine, and 5) the different age indications for the various vaccine products. We will post the draft version as soon as the ACIP influenza recommendations are issued in MMWR (anticipated in 1-2 weeks). There are no changes in the “Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccination Pocket Guide” (8/10) that was distributed last year.
Each of these pocket guides are intended for use by healthcare providers only, not by patients. Both pocket guides will be available at no cost to your agency or organization. To order either or both pocket guides in quantity, go to http://www.immunize.org/pocketguides/ Please order early. We hope to begin shipping in next month.
For up-to-date information on influenza, visit the website of the National Influenza Vaccine Summit at www.preventinfluenza.org
