Oral

This session presents details of health and safety issues among workers in the health care industry, namely homecare workers, nursing assistants, nurses, and hospital laundry workers. A diverse group of workers within health care, these workers are discussed with regards to immunization for influenza vaccine (nursing assistants), exposure to contamination from patients involved in catestrophes/other incidents (nurses), and exposure to improperly disposed-of sharps devices (hospital laundry and auxiliary staff). This session will also feature presention of a training curricula for home care workers, focusing on the evaluation of such a program.

Session Objectives: Describe influenza vaccination coverage among nursing assistants relative to other health care workers and the general population. Describe the need for nurses to be trained as first receivers of chemically-contaminated victims, and the risk borne by the nurses. Identify factors that place hospital laundry workers at risk of sharps injuries and the policies that are needed to protect these workers. Explain the function of a tool used to evaluate curricula for training home care workers.

CE Credits: Medical (CME), Health Education (CHES), Nursing (CNE), Public Health (CPH)