Occupational Safety for Nurses

Abstract

Occupational hazards have a deleterious effect on the individuals health and safety as well as organizational effectiveness. The occupational safety issues may broadly be studied under two headings viz. Physical and psychological aspects. Physical aspects of occupational health related to the occupational environment and include injuries, accidents, ergonomic problems, physical hazards, chemical substances, communicable disease and violence in the workplace and Psychological aspect are lack of reward, workload, staffing, role conflict, role ambiguity, meeting emotional needs of the patient, leadership style and professional conflict as the main sources of stress on nurses. To overcome these issues there are few strategies such as The Factories Act,1948, The Employees State Insurance Act, 1948, Role of TNAI and Stress Management Intervention Programmes (SMI) are applied. Except that the nurse administrative has to implement the universal precautions, protective personnel equipment and compulsory HBV vaccination, needleless delivery system and non latex gloves, periodic breaks, safe working environment and safe patient lifting devices etc. Organizations must consider what they can do to eliminate occupational physical problems, workplace stressors. This will necessarily result in improved well-being of the individual as well as increased effectiveness of the organization.