Caring for those who care: a tribute to nurses and their safety.
From the clinics of South Africa, where there are "No Gun" signs on the walls; to the rural island hospital in Micronesia, where there is no running water; to the urban hospitals of Los Angeles serving non-English speaking clients from around the globe; to the nurse-run clinics in the harsh Alaska frontier, nurses are focused on doing their best to give quality nursing care. This focus on providing quality care is commendable. However, nurses must also focus on taking care of themselves so they are able both to continue providing quality care for their patients and to maintain the profession's ability to recruit and retain new nurses. In nursing textbooks from the late 1980s and early 1990s, risks to health care workers were listed only as sub headings in sections such as infectious agents and musculoskeletal injuries, or in general chapters on "women's work." It is a remarkable sign of progress that there is now a discrete focus on the health and safety of health care workers. This article provides a general introduction to the topic of nurse safety. First the major areas of health and safety concerns and the Hierarchy of Controls framework for risk reduction will be outlined. Next, findings from American Nurses Association (ANA) surveys which helped to crystallize the issue of safety and challenged the profession to focus on nurse safety will be presented. Following this, the linkages between patient safety and nurse safety will be discussed. Finally national reports, environmental initiatives, and policy successes and opportunities related to nurse safety will be noted.
Center for Research and Nursing Innovation at the University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA. Maryfoleyrn@att.net
Mary
M
Foley
D000575:American Nurses' Association; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D015386:Hazardous Substances; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods; D020315:Latex Hypersensitivity / Q000517:prevention & control; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D015969:National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, U.S., Health and Medicine Division; D009729:Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016272:Occupational Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D017751:Safety Management / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014754:Violence / Q000517:prevention & control; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control
D015386:Hazardous Substances