Professional development series (Chicago, Ill.)最新文献

For many years, health care workers have faced the risk of job-related violence, and the incidence of serious threat to employees continues to increase. This Professional Development Series document discusses the elements of an effective health care violence evaluation and mitigation program that are necessary to meet the objectives of the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recommendations. The information is designed to help health care employers reduce and prevent the incident of workplace violence as well as track the progress of their efforts.

Over the past ten years, the treatment of medical waste has received much attention. During this time, an entire new industry to develop "alternate medical waste treatment technologies" has emerged. Much of this has been in response to increasingly stringent air quality standards along with public sentiment opposed to incineration, with a resultant decline in the use of on-site medical waste incinerators. However, in between incinerators and alternative treatment systems is a technology that is as much a part of American healthcare as hospitals themselves. Medical waste regulation in all fifty states recognize steam sterilization as an acceptable method of treatment prior to disposal. Within this category of medical waste treatment technology, there is a wide array of systems available, many of which have altered the basic, simple principles of steam treatment to make it more conducive to this application. This Professional Development Series reviews some the basic and newer innovative techniques of steam treatment of medical waste.

This Professional Development Series document outlines the public health and environmental impacts of mercury. It further explains the health care industry's extraordinary contribution of mercury pollution and outlines simple, cost effective strategies to better manage, minimize and ultimately eliminate the use of mercury and mercury based products in health care settings. Brief case studies of facilities that have been successful in this effort are described. A technical assistance resource guide is also included. Readers can expect to acquire the skills needed to make this important work a manageable task.

Support service staff members, regardless of their specific work assignment, frequently come into contact with infected patients and contaminated facility surfaces. Their thorough understanding of the basics of microbiology is critical to the development and implementation of an effective infection control program. Workers who have the benefit of appropriate education as well as the most recent, up-to-date information are positioned to make safe and effective decisions as they go about the task of addressing the many and various environmental situations that occur during the course of the day. These decisions often directly affect the patient care delivery process as well as the quality of its outcomes. The following document provides basic information about the science of microbiology and the disease-producing microorganisms commonly found in a health care facility as well as how those organisms are spread and controlled.

The purpose of this technical document is to acquaint managers with the basic infection control practices that are generally considered to be appropriate for a textile care services operation in a health care facility. An infection control program that provides the information needed by employees to conduct operational activities in a safe manner is essential to avoid the contamination of personnel. This document discusses the responsibilities of various staff members in the department, basic infection control practices, the physical control of organisms, appropriate housekeeping as well as engineering and maintenance and employee health issues relevant to the textile care department.