Occupational Health & Safety

Hospitals are established to attend to the health needs of people as well as to treat the injured and the sick. However, health workers are sometimes faced with occupational health and safety issues which give a bad image to the socio-economic importance of the hospitals.
This study assessed how the health and safety issues of health workers in the public health facilities of Ghana are addressed. [from abstract]

The aim of this paper is to assess the occupational health hazards faced by healthcare workers and the mitigation measures. [adapted from abstract]

This study found that the hospitals attempted to make significant use of Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) approach (including natural surveillance, natural access control, territorial concern, and management & maintenance) but that CPTED usage was at least partially ineffective because of poor implementation of its principles and because employees were not sufficiently educated in CPTED to exploit the CPTED engineering and design features. [from abstract]

Although international scientific research on health issues has been dealing with the problem of aggression and violence towards those employed in health care, research activities in Germany are still at an early stage. In view of this, the aim of this study was to examine the frequency and consequences of aggressive behaviour towards nurses and health care workers in different health sectors in Germany and to assess the need for preventive measures. [from abstract]

In 2013, new data collected by the ICRC7 showed that the vast majority of violent incidents against health services that took place during 2012 – more than 80 per cent of the 900 or so incidents recorded in twenty-two countries – affected local health-care professionals. A quarter of the people affected by these incidents were killed or wounded, while the remainder of the incidents consisted of beatings, threats, arrests, kidnapping, and other violent occurrences. [from introduction]

This interview study aimed to explore perceived facilitators and barriers influencing patient safety among nurses involved in the direct provision of care. Considering the importance of nurses with regard to patient safety, this knowledge could facilitate the development and implementation of better solutions. [from abstract]

This report offers a review of the rich and varied discussions that took place during the course of the 3-day
conference that resulted in a Call for Action, including a global research agenda.[from introduction]

The Ministry of Health/Ghana Health Service in collaboration with the World Health Organization (W.H.O.) country office commissioned the development of this policy and guidelines on occupational health and safety (OHS) of health workers in view of the tremendous risks posed to these workers in the process of rendering invaluable services to mankind. We wish to express our appreciation to the W.H.O. for supporting this effort. [from introduction]

The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of a strategy for prevention of work-related musculoskeletal disorders to enhance the physical capacity of health care workers. [adapted from abstract]

The purpose of this study was to clarify the impact of long nurse working hours on patient safety culture in Japan, the US, and Chinese Taiwan using the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture assessment tool. [adapted from abstract]

This study aimed to explore whether a participatory work-design intervention involving hospital physicians is effective in improving working conditions and quality of patient care. [from abstract]

The many functions of health human resources include identifying and managing burnout risk factors for health professionals, while also promoting effective coping. This study of physician burnout aims to show which correlates are most strongly associated with emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, and whether the associations vary across regions and specialties. [adapted from abstract]

With increasing age, physical capacity decreases and the time needed for recovery increases, while the demands of work do not change with age. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between physical activity and work ability of health workers using both cross sectional and prospective analyses. [adapted from author]

This study examines a population of community health workers in Karen State, eastern Myanmar to explore the manifestations of health providers’ psychological distress in a low-resource conflict environment.

This study investigated the factors related to burnout among Chinese doctors in order to improve the health of doctors and the quality of healthcare services in China. [adapted from abstract]

This article aimed o analyse possible differences in biological stress markers, psycho-social working conditions, health, and well-being between nurses working in two different departments. [from abstract]

The main objective of this study was to document the prevalence and disease spectrum of latex allergy, a common occupational disease among healthcare workers who use latex gloves, at Mankweng Hospital, Limpopo Province, South Africa. [adapted from author]

This study aimed to determine the frequency of occupational exposure to HIV, the circumstances and predisposing factors, the high-risk groups, the extent to which exposures are reported and the post-exposure prophylaxis utilized by health-care workers and students in a Ugandan hospital. [from abstract]

This study evaluated two workplace initiatives providing medical services, including HIV care; and a support group for HIV-positive staff to determine the uptake and outcome of HIV testing and counselling among health staff and their dependents; uptake and outcomes of antiretroviral therapy among health staff; and membership and activities of the support group. [adapted from abstract]

The objective of this study was to examine the prevalence and impact of bullying behaviours between staff in the National Health Service (NHS) workplace, and to explore the barriers to reporting bullying. [from abstract]

Failure to communicate openly and accurately to members of the healthcare team can result in medical error. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of nursing characteristics and environmental values on communication in the acute care setting. [from abstract]

This article evaluated the prevalence and associated factors of burnout among nurses in a Nigerian general hospital. [from abstract]

The study examines the relationship between work hours and self rated health in two national samples of hospital doctors. [from abstract]

Increased demand for nurses means that the organisations that provide employee-friendly policies will gain a competitive edge in attracting and retaining a quality nursing workforce. This publication provides guidance on the issues affecting work-life balance to influence employers and policy-makers on workplace policies. [adapte from author]

The purpose of the study was to survey experiences of occupational stress and perceived work environment among nurses working on acute psychiatric wards in Finland. In addition, nurses’ use and attitudes towards information technology were analyzed. [from abstract]

This study investigated inter-relationships between emotional intelligence (EI), work stress and burnout in a group of nurses in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. The moderating effect of EI in the stress–burnout relationship and group differences (nurses working in different wards) in burnout were also investigated. [from abstract]

This study aimed to identify the main sources of stress for students of nursing and the evolution of the stressors when training in nursing competences. [from abstract]

Moral distress is associated with job dissatisfaction, turnover and early retirement. The objective of this study was to identify individual and job characteristics associated with moral distress in nursing staff. [from abstract]

The purpose of this study was to investigate anxiety symptoms and the associated factors in Chinese nurses working in public city hospitals. [from abstract]

This article analyzes a project to develop and implement tailored work-oriented interventions to improve health, well-being, and performance of health care personnel. [adapted from abstract]