Annual Review Topics for CNAs and HHAs

Patient’s rights are the basic rules of conduct between healthcare workers and patients. Patient’s rights are determined by state and federal law and inspection agencies like the Joint Commission or Department of Health. Breaking a patient’s rights can lead to suspension, fines, or even prison. Patient’s rights include:

• Information disclosure
• Access to Emergency Services
• Participation in Treatment Decisions
• Respect and Nondiscrimination
• Confidentiality of Health Information
• Complaints and Appeals

Information about both patients and staff must be kept secure and confidential. Any staff member working in the presence of patient information must know how to maintain and secure protected information.

The HIPAA is a federal regulation that addresses the privacy, confidentiality, and security aspects of the legislation.

The rule sets standards for patient privacy and confidentiality. It also sets severe civil and criminal penalties for people who violate a patient’s privacy. HIPAA requires protected patient information must only be shared with people who are directly involved in that patient’s care. This is especially important when talking in public areas (elevators, restrooms, hallways, cafeterias, etc.). Charts or documents should not be left out where unauthorized persons might see them; computer screens should not be angled in such a way as to allow unwanted viewing, and computers should be logged off when you leave the area. It is vitally important to observe surroundings when discussing patient care.

A worker who seeks information about a patient not under the worker’s care is violating the HIPAA rules. Protected health information can only be used for health purposes. Employers cannot use health history information to screen candidates for hire or promotion. Financial institutions may not use it to determine lending practices. Only the individual can explicitly authorize employers, banks, and others to have access to his/her medical information.

HIPAA also established the “minimum necessary rule,” which stipulates that only the minimum necessary information may be shared, even with the patient’s authorization. A classic example would involve treatment for a case of domestic abuse. The worker should not provide information about the domestic violence that caused the injury. Only give enough information that is necessary to provide treatment and protect the victim. A summary of the information could be provided to legal and law enforcement entities.

Health workers who are directly involved in the treatment of patients are not subject to the minimum necessary rule and can have full access to all information that is needed to provide care. Health information that has implications for public health and safety.

There are a few situations where medical information can be shared:

• Emergency 911 situations
• When communicable diseases are involved
• When law enforcement agencies participate
• If national defense or security is a factor

The public health department is deemed a legitimate recipient of certain personal health information. HIPAA privacy regulations also mandate specific patient rights that include the following:

• The right to privacy notice requires disclosure and reasonable effort to ensure that the patient understands the agency’s policy about the privacy of information.
• Right to ask for restrictions - patients may specify health information that cannot be released, and they may restrict to whom information can be released.
• Right to access personal health information - patients must be allowed to inspect and copy the information contained in the agency’s record.
• Right to know what disclosures have been made - the agency must track all information released and be able to provide documentation to the patient.
• Right to amend the personal health information - while the patients may ask for amendments and the agency must allow for amendments, the agency can also deny some requests.

Electronically generated, stored, or transferred information also falls firmly under HIPAA privacy rules. Both individuals and facilities are responsible for defending electronic protected health information (ePHI).

Protected information that does get shared, either by accident or with purpose, must immediately be reported using the facilities established procedures.

The right to care is defined in the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). It ensures the public has access to emergency services regardless of lack of insurance or ability to pay.

A person requires E.R. services if he or she has signs or symptoms that a reasonable non-medical person would consider an emergency. If the patient has severe pain, an injury, or a sudden illness that convinces him/her that their health is in serious jeopardy, they have the right to receive screening and stabilization emergency services whenever and wherever needed without prior authorization or financial penalty. The patient has the right to ask for a transfer to another institution, providing it is medically permissible, and the other facility will accept the transfer.

The Patient Self Determination Act requires that all hospitals receiving Medicare or Medicaid funding provide information to all adult patients upon admission about advanced directives and to ask whether they have an advanced directive.¹² Patients should receive information regarding advanced directives if they do not present with this information at admission.

Advanced directives can limit life-prolonging measures when there is little or no chance of recovery. For example, advanced directives may enable patients to make their feelings known about cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), intravenous (IV) therapy, feeding tubes, ventilators respirators, and dialysis. Advanced directives can address pain relief, either asking for or refusing it.

Culture is the way of life of a group of people. It includes shared knowledge, beliefs, values, attitudes, rules of behavior, language, skills, and world view.² Culture shapes human behavior because it is the foundation of conscious and unconscious beliefs about “the proper” way to live. Cultures change constantly. Different members of a society internalize and express different parts of their shared culture. Subcultures are also always present and can reflect differences by geographic region or other subgroups within a larger shared society. Religion, faith, and spirituality have significant cultural and spiritual roles in illness care.

The trendy phrase cultural competence is simply the ability to give healthcare in ways that are acceptable and useful to patients because it is acceptable in their cultural background and expectations.

The Joint Commission’s National Patient Safety Goals provide a clear map of which areas will be the target of interest and inspection during accreditation surveys or inquiries. Communication between health workers and accrediting bodies is meant to flow both ways. Should you have concerns about patient safety or quality of care, both Medicare and Joint Commission have avenues of communication open to hear your concerns.

All healthcare facilities should have policies and procedures that guide workers to follow the safety goals.

All patients should be screened for abuse. Facilities and care organizations must have procedures for identifying, reporting, and treating victims of abuse. Patients have the right to expect access to protective services in the case of abuse.

Supervisory staff is trained in the assessment, action, and reporting of suspected abuse. If you have any concerns about abuse, report it to the person in charge. Do not question the patient or anyone with the patient about suspected abuse. Special training is needed to question about abuse without making the problem worse or upsetting the patient.

Many victims of abuse are seen in healthcare settings. Healthcare workers often fail to identify victims due to a lack of training on what to look for and how to ask about abuse. Opportunities for intervention are missed, and victims continue to suffer the adverse health consequences of physical and emotional abuse. For example, physically battered victims seek assistance in healthcare settings, often repeatedly.

Trained professionals must do screening for abuse. Screening usually occurs by the R.N. or physician’s assistant or doctor. Screening questions should always be asked in a private room, away from the suspected batterer, and preceded by assurances of all the confidentiality allowed by law. Healthcare workers should find ways to separate the patient from the suspected abuser since abusers often demand to accompany the potential abuse victim into the examining room.

Abuse can take many forms. It may include emotional abuse, economic abuse, sexual abuse, threats, using the threat of removing children, using privilege, intimidation, isolation, and other behaviors used to maintain fear, intimidation, and power. There are many theories as to why some people are abusers. However, the reason abusers use this behavior is that violence is an effective method for gaining and keeping control over another person.

Sexual abuse is unwanted sexual activity with perpetrators using force, making threats, or taking advantage of victims not able to give consent. Most victims and perpetrators know each other. Immediate reactions to sexual abuse include shock, fear, or disbelief. Long-term symptoms include anxiety, fear, or post-traumatic stress disorder. While efforts to treat sex offenders remain unpromising, psychological interventions for survivors, especially group therapy, appear effective.

Psychological abuse occurs when a person tries to control information available to another person with the intent to manipulate that person’s sense of reality or their view of what is acceptable and unacceptable. Psychological abuse often contains strong, emotionally manipulative content and threats designed to force the victim to comply with the abuser’s wishes. It can include constant verbal abuse, harassment, excessive possessiveness, isolating the person from friends and family, deprivation of physical and economic resources, and destruction of personal property.

Physical abuse is physical force or violence that results in bodily injury, pain, or impairment. It includes assault, battery, and inappropriate restraint. It often begins with what is excused as trivial contact that escalates into more frequent and severe attacks.

Sometimes patients need to be kept safe from their actions. While individuals are encouraged to exercise internal control, at times, there may be a need for external measures of restraint. The use of restraints has resulted in patient injury and death. It must be done carefully following specific instructions.

A licensed, independent practitioner must order the restraint or seclusion. The facility may authorize qualified staff members, usually registered nurses, to initiate the use of restraints when needed before an order is obtained. The independent practitioner must evaluate the need for restraint or seclusion and assess the patient within one hour.

Restraints must never be used for discipline or convenience. When a patient requires external restraint, it is important to protect that person’s safety, rights, comfort, and dignity.

Review the equipment, policies, and documentation tools for each facility where you work, as there may be some variation in both practice and definition of restraints. Restraint standards for medical/surgical purposes apply when the primary reason for use directly supports medical healing. Please note that slightly different standards are used for behavioral management, such as in a psychiatric setting and long term care.⁵

Behavioral use of restraints is a last-used option and should be considered only when a patient is imminently at risk of harming themselves or others with their behaviors. Less intrusive methods of regaining safety must be attempted before restraint is applied.

Medication to control behavior should be used only as part of a therapeutic plan, after appropriate assessment by workers.

Chemical restraint is a term used to describe the use of medications for purposes unrelated to the patient’s medical condition. An example is the use of a sedating psychotropic drug to manage or control behavior.

It is the intended use of a device or method that classifies the device or method as a restraint. For instance, IV arm-boards, postural support devices, orthopedic appliances, protective devices like helmets, are not restraints when used to promote healing or protect an easily injured tissue or surgical site.

Restraints or seclusion are to be used as a last resort after alternatives have proven to be unsuccessful. Restraints should not cause harm or be used as a form of punishment. Examples of alternatives to restraints include, but are not limited to:

• Interaction on 1:1 basis with staff
• Redirection
• PRN medication with patient consent
• Staff or patient-initiated time out in a quiet room with the door unlocked. It should be presented as a way for a patient to regain control, not as a threat
• Staff presentation of limits where consequences are presented for the patient to choose
• Removal of stimuli from the patient or vice versa. Keep in mind that moving a patient close to a busy nurses’ station so you can keep a close eye on him/her could over stimulate and worsen symptoms
• Relaxation exercises
• Calming music

If lesser interventions are not successful, and you need to apply a physical restraint as a last resort, use the least-restrictive device possible. For example, a lap buddy is a soft vinyl device that attaches to the wheelchair rather than the patient. Although the patient can remove it when they are oriented, it serves as a reminder that he/she should not get up without assistance and protects if he/she becomes confused again. Another alternative is a geriatric chair set in a reclining position or with a lapboard. This is less restrictive than a safety belt or roll belt. A roll belt, in turn, is less restrictive than a vest restraint. Mitts are generally more suitable than wrist restraints because they are less restrictive and allow the patient to move their arms freely. Another option is elbow restraints that keep the arm straight but allow free arm movement.

The authorized staff member can discontinue restraints or seclusion as soon as the assessment reveals that restraints or seclusion are no longer necessary. The use of restraints for acute medical or surgical purposes must be reviewed and renewed if needed by the licensed, independent practitioner at least every 24 hours. The use of restraints for behavioral healthcare purposes in long term care must be reviewed and renewed if needed by the licensed, independent practitioner at least every 30 days.

Procedures for checking and documenting while a patient is in restraints are rigorous. Each facility will have a restraint or seclusion documentation tool that must be completed, which must include the following:

• Assessment of patients in restraints in an acute care setting or long-term care setting:
  • The patient to be checked at least hourly
  • Restraints removed to allow movement at least every 2 hours
  • Assess, turn, reposition, range of motion exercises, offer nourishment and fluids, and toilet the patient at least every 2 hours
• Psychiatric setting assessment of patients in restraints or seclusion:
  • Continuous observation is needed
  • Vital Signs every hour
  • Ongoing assessment of airway and respiratory status
  • Assess hydration and offer fluids at least every two hours
  • Toileting offered every two hours
  • Nutrition at mealtimes as safety permits
  • Assess circulation and range of motion every fifteen minutes
  • Check for injury associated with the application of restraint or seclusion
  • Assess psychological status including readiness for discontinuation of restraint or seclusion
  • Documentation of all activities

Physical restraints should always be fastened for easy release in an emergent situation. The restraint should be attached to a fixed part of the furniture, like the bed frame. Fixing it to a movable part, like a side rail, could inadvertently tighten the restraint causing patient injury or loosen the restraint causing it to be ineffective.

The risk of violence to healthcare workers is much higher than for all other private sector industries. Fifty percent of healthcare workers have been and will be victims of assault in the workplace.⁶ The circumstances of hospital violence differ from workplace violence in other settings such as banks, convenience stores, or taxicabs, where violence most often relates to robbery.

Violence in hospitals is usually an outpouring of emotion rather than an attempt at a material gain, with the violence toward others resulting from patients or their family members who feel frustrated, vulnerable, and out of control. Common risk factors for hospital violence include the following:

• Working directly with volatile people, especially if they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol or have a history of violence or certain psychotic diagnoses
• Working when understaffed-especially during mealtimes and visiting hours
• Transporting patients
• Long waits for service
• Overcrowded, uncomfortable waiting rooms
• Working alone
• Poor environmental design
• Inadequate security
• Lack of staff training and policies for preventing and managing crises with potentially volatile patients
• Drug and alcohol abuse
• Access to firearms
• Unrestricted movement of the public
• Poorly lit corridors, rooms, parking lots, and other areas

Violence may occur anywhere in a hospital, but it is most frequent in psychiatric wards, emergency rooms, waiting rooms, and geriatric units. Studies indicate that violence often takes place during times of high activity and interaction with patients. Assaults may occur when service is denied, when a patient is involuntarily admitted, or when a healthcare worker attempts to set limits on eating, drinking, tobacco, or alcohol use. Patients with a condition that causes confusion and impaired judgment are more likely to become violent than a patient with normal mental activity. Confusion and impaired judgment may be caused by neurologic conditions, seizures, hypoglycemia, or dementia. Watch for signs that may lead to violence:

• Verbally expressed anger and frustration
• Body language such as threatening gestures
• Signs of drug or alcohol use

Also, it is important to note how your co-workers behave. If a co-worker’s attitude or behavior has changed for the worse, notify your manager. For example, slamming equipment around is red-flag behavior.

Learn from history. If a patient has a history of violent behavior (such as acting combative in the ambulance or waiting room), prepare yourself for potentially violent behavior and warn others who are caring for him/her. Let security know if you feel threatened or if you find or suspect that he is carrying a weapon. Notify the supervisor if you suspect a patient is going to be violent. Help relieve the patient’s tension and anxiety by keeping him informed about when he will be examined or treated and what is going on.

Be alert to your environment:

• Evaluate each situation for potential violence when you enter a room or begin to relate to a patient or visitor.
• Be vigilant throughout the encounter.
• Do not isolate yourself with a potentially violent person.
• Plan your exit. Always keep an open path for exiting. Do not let the potentially violent person stand between you and the door.
• When you are with an upset patient or co-worker, avoid areas of the room that lacks an accessible exit.
• If you are going to an isolated part of your facility, let others know where you are going and when you expect to return.
• Consider asking for an escort.
• Note anyone who is not wearing staff I.D. and is lingering where he/she should not. Politely ask if you can help them and notify security if you are not satisfied with the answer. If you would rather not approach someone, call security, and provide a full description.
• Evaluate the way you wear equipment to be sure it cannot be used as a weapon against you. For example, consider that a stethoscope or I.D. badge without a breakaway necklace can be used to choke you. Carry your stethoscope in a pocket and use an I.D. badge necklace that has a breakaway feature.
• If you wear a necktie, opt for a clip-on style.
• If your hair is long, wear it in a way that is not easy to pull, and do not wear dangling jewelry.

In the presence of a potentially violent person:

Do:

• Plan a clear exit route.
• Keep 5 to 7 feet between you and him. Never turn your back on him or let him get between you and the exit.
• Keep your voice calm and quiet.
• Acknowledge that he has a right to his feelings.
• Assume that he has a valid concern and address it.
• Try to meet reasonable demands.
• Offer alternatives when possible. For example, tell an angry patient that although he cannot order take-out pizza, you will see if you can get him an early dinner.
• Tell an angry colleague that you see that she is angry and that you would like to work with her and your manager to resolve the situation.
• Call for backup or security if a situation grows increasingly tense.
• Ensure access to bathrooms, a phone, a T.V., and something to read.
• Track equipment. Return it to its rightful place. When you take an item into a patient’s room, dispose of it properly, or take it with you when you leave.
• Take these steps if you cannot defuse the situation quickly:
  • Remove yourself from the situation.
  • Call security for help.
  • Report any violent incidents to your management.

Do not:

• Do not ignore the agitated person or avoid him.
• Do not threaten or demand obedience.
• Do not argue or become defensive or judgmental.
• Do not laugh, move suddenly, make threatening gestures, or invade his personal space.
• Do not try to handle a dangerous situation alone. Call the security or initiate your facility’s violence prevention protocol.
• In the presence of a weapon, maintain behavior that helps diffuse anger:
  • Present a calm, caring attitude.
  • Do not match the threats.
  • Do not give orders.
  • Acknowledge the person’s feelings (for example, “I know you are frustrated”).
  • Avoid any behavior that may be interpreted as aggressive (for example, moving rapidly, getting too close, touching, or speaking loudly).

For most health workers and virtually every organization in the health industry, the major regulatory authorities expecting targeted annual training are TJC, CMS, and OSHA. Let us look at training topics that focus on safety in the workplace from the perspective of those organizations’ expectations.

Training on fire safety is not only needed by the major regulatory agencies; it is common sense. Any health worker who has lived through a fire in a care setting knows and most likely has night terrors about the complexity of moving ill patients out of harm’s way in an emergency.

For all of us, when you enter a new work area, look around and find fire alarms, fire extinguishers, exit signs, and oxygen cut off valves. One way to remember fire safety is the acronym, RACE.

• R: rescue
• A: alarm
• C: contain the fire (if possible)
• E: extinguish or evacuate

Never hesitate to sound the alarm with any suspicion of fire, yet also never yell “fire!” Yelling “fire” creates panic. Instead, call out the facility’s verbal code for fire. Call the switchboard to report the fire and pull the fire alarm. When you call the switchboard, be sure to stay on the phone long enough to ensure they have received the correct information such, where you are!

If a fire is small and confined, you may be able to extinguish it. If a patient’s garments are on fire, wrap them tightly in a large blanket to extinguish the flames. If a piece of equipment catches fire, pull the plug, or cut the electricity as soon as possible.

OSHA is very clear if you place hand-held portable fire extinguishers for staff to use in emergencies, you must train every staff annually how to use them. Portable fire extinguishers come in different classes for use on fires of different sources. The extinguisher has small pictures on the label that help you identify the type of fire source on which the material can be used. Class A puts out fires involving ordinary combustibles. Class B extinguishers smother fires involving flammable liquids or gases. Class C extinguishers put out fires in or near electrical equipment. Type ABC extinguishers can be used to fight all three types of fires. To use an extinguisher, remember PASS:

• Pull the pin
• Aim the nozzle at the base of the fire
• Squeeze the trigger while making
• Sweeping strokes with the extinguisher plume

If a fire cannot be extinguished and smoke, fumes or flames threaten patient safety, you may need to evacuate. Evacuate ambulatory patients first. Stay calm and give clear directions. Evacuate horizontally for as long as you can. Then evaluate vertically down to a lower level. Never use an elevator to escape during a fire. A sudden loss of power could leave you and your patient trapped inside the elevator.

Healthcare units need to be separated by heavy fire doors that close automatically when the alarm is sounded, to keep the fire from spreading. To confine a fire, close the doors, windows, and all vertical openings like the laundry chute. Stuff wet towels under doors to keep smoke out. Shut off oxygen supplies if directed to do so. Usually, facility policy designates someone in supervision to decide when to turn of oxygen supplies.

When rescuing anyone in immediate danger, remember to stay low. Smoke rises to the ceiling and forms a heavy, dense cloud that slowly descends. This cloud is deadly because it contains toxic gases.

Staff responsible for inspecting, maintain, or repair fixed fire extinguishing equipment such as sprinklers or fire hose reels must be trained annually about these essential safety items.

Katrina, Joplin Missouri, the Twin Towers: the list of disasters affecting hospitals and all of us in the health professions are limitless since emergencies come to us, either physically or by proxy, in the form of waves of injured.

Joint Commission asks for and requires annual training for emergency responses specific to healthcare facilities, including twice-yearly live emergency scenarios (e.g., bomb threat, hostage situation, facility fire, plane crash into the building, etc.).⁹ At least one of these annual training must involve the community around the organization, such as fire department, search, and rescue, police, etc. Be aware that TJC requires an assigned designee at these exercises to monitor performance and document deficiencies, with staff training following up to correct anything found lacking. Do not be tempted to take emergency response training lightly; not only will it be “graded” by regulatory agencies, but it could also very well save the lives of those precious to you.

Supervisors must know how to initiate the disaster plan and designate tasks to workers.

Each worker must be trained to:

• Locate the disaster plan on each unit where he/she works
• Know the alarm codes for each type of disaster
• Know the exit routes
• Know how to use any evacuation equipment

In healthcare, it is everyone’s responsibility to dispose of biohazardous material properly. One negligent act can result in a biohazardous exposure. Biohazard materials include blood and body fluids. If you are in doubt, use a biohazard container to dispose of the material. All biohazardous containers should be red and have the following biohazard symbol.

Image Source: www.cdc.gov/niosh

Biohazard sharps containers are to be red and come in varied sizes. Biohazardous sharps containers are made to store small glass objects and anything capable of piercing or puncturing the skin, whether it is contaminated or not. This includes sharps with protective devices like retractable sheaths.

Even if a sharp is not contaminated, if it is put in the regular garbage, someone may be stuck with that sharp and not know if it was contaminated or not. The common examples are needles, sutures, scalpels, disposable instruments, and lancets. Replace sharps containers when they are three-quarters full. Failure to do so may result in someone being contaminated because sharps are close to the top, or the closure device does not swing freely.

Biohazardous bags are red and are to be used for biohazardous material that is not sharp and may be contaminated with blood or body fluid. These bags are also used for the disposal of chemotherapy drugs and chemicals, even though they are not infectious.

Source: www.cdc.gov/niosh

General waste bags are used for general trash and some body fluids and equipment if there is no visible blood, urine, feces, disposable pads or chux, PPE, used gloves, respiratory care items, and suctions canisters. However, if in doubt, use a biohazardous bag.

OSHA possesses a comprehensive bloodborne pathogen standard for workers in areas of risk, which, of course, includes healthcare, housekeeping, and emergency responders, to name a few. As a healthcare worker, be careful to take this topic seriously as some 295,000 hospital-based healthcare workers experience occupational, percutaneous injuries annually.⁹

The presence of an exposure control plan is essential in a healthcare setting, and as a healthcare worker, you must know your facility’s policies. The exposure control plan must describe how an employer will use a combination of engineering and work practice controls, ensure the use of personal protective clothing and equipment, provide training, medical surveillance, hepatitis B vaccinations, and signs/labels. Engineering controls are the primary means of eliminating or minimizing employee exposure and include the use of safer medical devices, such as needleless devices, shielded needle devices, and plastic capillary tubes. If a needlestick or exposure to blood occurs:

• Provide immediate care to the exposure site
• Wash wounds and skin with soap and water
• Flush mucous membranes with water
• Irrigate eyes with clean water, saline, or sterile wash

Please note that no scientific evidence has shown that using antiseptics or squeezing the wound will reduce the risk of transmission of a bloodborne pathogen. Using a caustic agent such as bleach is not recommended.

Notify your supervisor, who will initiate reports and treatment if needed.

A comprehensive exposure prevention plan and strategies play significant roles in decreasing the risk of infection from bloodborne pathogens. The risks of exposure with appropriate precautions are low, yet they are real. Understanding how an exposure occurs and the risks of exposure is imperative for both the occupational health clinician and the healthcare worker. After an occupational exposure to a bloodborne pathogen, the risk of infection depends on several factors, including:

• Type of body substance involved
• Route of exposure
• Volume of blood or body fluid involved
• Severity of exposure
• Pathogen suspected
• Degree of viremia (e.g., viral count or quantity of virus in the blood)
• Immune status of the healthcare worker at the time of exposure
• Whether appropriate post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) was used

To be effective and reliable, the CDC and NIOSH have determined that respiratory protection programs must include at least the following elements:

• Assignment of responsibility to one person with enough knowledge who is given the authority and responsibility to manage all aspects of the program
• Standard operating procedures that include information and guidance for the proper selection, use, and care of respirators
• Screening by a physician or other licensed healthcare worker of all healthcare workers (HCWs) who might need to use a respirator for pertinent medical conditions at the time they are hired, and then re-screening periodically
• Annual training of HCWs with a specific focus on prevention, transmission, and symptoms
• Selection of filtering facepiece respirators approved by CDC/NIOSH
• Fit testing performed during the initial respiratory protection program training and periodically after that, per federal, state, and local regulations
• Inspection and maintenance of respirators according to manufacturer instructions
• Evaluation of the respirator program periodically to ensure its continued effectiveness

Remember that latex is a high reactivity substance for some individuals, both staff and patients. If you use a latex product, on a patient allergic to latex, you could trigger a severe allergic reaction, including respiratory distress. Irritant reactions are the most common type of latex reaction. It is a non-allergenic condition due to latex gloves. The back of the hands may have a dry, itchy rash. Be discerning as irritant reactions may also have other causes, such as irritation from soaps or detergents, other chemicals, or incomplete hand drying.

A wide variety of products contain latex: medical supplies, personal protective equipment, and numerous household objects. Most people who encounter latex products only through general home use have no health problems from the use of these products.

Latex allergy should be identified during the initial assessment of allergies. When a latex-sensitive patient is admitted, follow the facility policy. This usually involves extra signage, asking for non-latex equipment, and perhaps even moving to a private room.

Workers should take the following steps to protect themselves from latex exposure and allergy in the workplace:

• Use non-latex gloves for activities that are not likely to involve contact with infectious materials, like food preparation, routine housekeeping, and maintenance.
• If you choose latex gloves, use powder-free gloves with reduced protein content. So-called hypoallergenic latex gloves do not reduce the risk of latex allergy. However, they may reduce reactions to chemical additives in the latex.
• When wearing latex gloves, do not use oil-based hand creams or lotions (which can cause glove deterioration) unless they have been shown to reduce latex-related problems and maintain glove barrier protection.
• After removing latex gloves, wash hands with mild soap and dry thoroughly.
• Use good housekeeping practices to remove latex-containing dust from the workplace.
• Learn to recognize the symptoms of latex allergy: skin rashes; hives; flushing; itching; nasal, eye, or sinus symptoms; asthma; and shock.

If you develop symptoms of latex allergy, avoid direct contact with latex gloves and other latex-containing products until you can see a physician experienced in treating latex allergy. Notify your supervisor so reports and treatment can be initiated.

A major hazard in all hospitals is the widespread use and storage of hazardous, flammable, and combustible liquids and gases. Many liquids have vapors that are flammable or combustible and can be ignited by a spark from a motor, friction, or static electricity. Handling and storage directions must be followed and are located on the SDS for that material. All flammable liquids should have the following label(s).

GHS Chemical Hazard Symbol

Flammable	Explosive
Compressed Gas	Harmful / Irritant
Access the full list of new warning pictograms from OSHA here.
OSHA HCS HazCom 2012 Final Rule www.osha.gov/dsg/hazcom/ghs-final-rule.html

Compressed gases are under pressure and flammable, so they must be handled with extreme care. An exploding cylinder can have the same destructive effect as a bomb. Storage areas for compressed gas cylinders should be well ventilated, fireproof, and dry. Cylinders should not be stored near steam pipes, hot water pipes, boilers, highly flammable solvents, combustible wastes, unprotected electrical connections, open flames, or other potential sources of heat or ignition. Cylinders should be labeled appropriately. The valve protection cap should not be removed until the cylinder is secured and ready for use.

Compressed gases used in hospitals include acetylene, ammonia, anesthetic gases, argon, chlorine, ethylene oxide, helium, hydrogen, methyl chloride, nitrogen, and sulfur dioxide. Acetylene, ethylene oxide, methyl chloride, and hydrogen are flammable, as are the anesthetic agents’ cyclopropane, diethyl ether, ethyl chloride, and ethylene. Although oxygen and nitrous oxide are labeled as non-flammable, they are oxidizing gases that will aid combustion.

Health workers need to pay special attention to electrical hazards because they work with tools comprised of electrical circuits. Encountering an electrical voltage can cause current to flow through the body, resulting in electrical shock and burns. Serious injury or even death may occur.

All equipment brought into a facility must be safety checked by the engineering department. Violations of standards governing the use of electrical equipment are the most frequently cited causes of electrical fires. Equipment and appliances that are frequently ungrounded or incorrectly grounded include:

• Three-wire plugs attached to two-wire cords
• Grounding prongs that are bent or cut off
• Ungrounded appliances resting on metal surfaces
• Extension cords with improper grounding
• Cords molded to plugs that are not properly wired
• Ungrounded, multiple-plug spiders that are often found in office areas and at nurses’ stations
• Personal electrical appliances brought by the workers from home (radios, coffeepots, fans, electric heaters) that are not grounded, have frayed cords, poor insulation, or are otherwise in poor repair

The public sleeps better at night, knowing that healthcare has regulatory guardians assuring quality is being given to them, the patient.

While each one of us in the health professions works to give the best care possible, we sometimes get distracted. It is good that we have authorities, regulatory agencies, and accreditation organizations looking on from outside the fuss and flurry. They help us stay on the path of evidence-based care and give guidance when we stray.

Annual required training, not from our employer, but organizations with a more global viewpoint, aid us in keeping a solid foundation in our practice of quality patient care.

Required annual mandated training changes frequently, so each of us must stay current with what areas are the focus of state, federal, and independent organizations to which we owe diligence. This year’s topics may differ to a small degree from the previous year, or by a great extent. Whichever it may be, we know that proof of training will be needed on inspection, accreditation visit, or in our employer’s annual evaluation of our performance and readiness.

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