Health & Safety in the Nursing Home Industry - Assignment Example

Health & Safety in the Nursing Home Industry Nova Southeastern College of Health Care Sciences Department of Health Science Professor Name DHS Number Course Title Assignment Week Number Date Health & Safety in the Nursing Home Industry Introduction Work related injuries are common happenings among the Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) who facilitate working services in nursing homes (Lugton& McIntyre, 2010). However, there is little awareness of the nature and causes of these injuries. The goal, therefore, is to explore how various characteristics of the workplace affect the injury rates among the CNAs. Further, the study explores the realization of the working demographics and impact of work-related injuries on the commitment of CNAs in facilitating services. Notably, in the U.S occupations with highest fatal injuries resulting from work activity include logging and mining, followed by fishing and farming. However, concentrating on work activities and categories with high incidences of nonfatal injuries, then healthcare is by far the most injury prone industry where work-related injuries occur. Further, the work related injuries are also highest among the CNAs working at homes, a category of health professionals that is among the lowest paid professionals (Melnyk&Fineout-Overholt, 2011). Startling facts indeed, which various reports and survey evidence that incidences of non-fatal injuries are highest in the nursing assistants’ category working in the home care services. Thus, the course of this dissertation explores various elements associated with the subject of work-related injuries among the CNAs while reiterating the importance of the unit of nursing home care within the health provision services. Discussion The established recent findings from publicized health reports indicate that at least 60% of the certified nursing assistants working in the home nursing care incur the occupational injuries (Rice, 2013). These injuries are vast, ranging from back injuries to cuts as well as, human bites, lack eyes among many other injuries. Further, the cause of these studies reflect nursing assistants were working in the home care capacity often experience higher rates of violence from the very people they seek to help. For instance, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reflects that at least 12 percent of the CNAs sustain human bite wound or worse injuries, particularly for nurses assisting people with dementia among other critical health conditions (Rice, 2013). Certification of the care programs recognizes the significant impact that CNAs facilitate in caring for the patients. Hence, it is essential to understand the aspect of the work related issues and injuries as they affect the CNAs in this noble profession. Overview of the nursing home industry Much is in place about the subject of long-term care reforms and the varied efforts across the nation to facilitate paradigms for caring for adults with all chronic care needs as well as the people with frailties and disabilities (Toles, Young &Ouslander, 2012). These demands for constant support services indeed ascertain the need to establish a relationship between the public and the nursing homes, as well as the health industry. In this course, it is notable that the role of nursing care facilitators even at home is to seek and support these healthcare needs. The home care nursing is an important role in the society. The significance of the CNAs is evident through the various duties it fulfills within the society (Rice, 2013). For instance, the CNAs provide skill and resources to the individuals within the wider community, facilitating security and safety for the socially impaired people. These CNAs act in the endeavor to realize the objective of the health industry, which entails facilitating care for all patients. As home care facilitators, they ease the costs entailed if all the patients in need of care were to stay within the hospital care. This would notably crowd the hospitals, rendering service delivery notably difficult. However, in this establishment, the CNAs facilitate the course for Health industry to give the much-needed care to patients within the care homes or at the home settings. Trends and projections for the aging population in the U.S. In recent projections from the 20101 census release, the reflection is that the findings will have a notable implication of the way people work, retire and care for the elderly (Toles, Young &Ouslander, 2012). The census bureau projections reflect that the U.S population is notably aging faster than previously projected, and the consequences are notably enormous. The projection from these findings indicated that within the next 30 years, the population above 65 years will be double the present population (Toles, Young &Ouslander, 2012). This acceleration of the growth pace reflects the urgency of the government officials to prepare for the upcoming realizations, particularly in the health care sector since, we, as the professionals will have the responsibility of caring for all this aging population care needs. Demographics of the nursing home workforce Similarly, the numbers of the todays nursing workforce is also another subject of concern in the reflection of the population demographics. It is notable, in these recent years, the nursing workforce is growing larger and rather diverse according to the federal government data. Department of Health and Human Services of U.S estimates that there are about 3.06 million registered nurses (Lugton& McIntyre, 2010). The ratio of the nurses to patients is also growing, reflecting on the population changes and vast composition of jobs created in the health sector. Nonetheless, with projection of the needs for care of the aging population in future years, the crisis is bound to strike, considering the level of work related issues in nursing service that go unaddressed. Thus, it is essential to address these concerns for health and safety of the nurses in the bid to facilitate the safe working environment for the CNAs in the future of the population projections. Description of occupational hazards in nursing homes The significance of the nursing care fraternity in the health sector is so vast in the course of maintaining a healthy nation. Today, the nursing homes and residential care facilitations are notably the keys to reducing congestion within the main healthcare centers and hospitals across the nation. In these nursing care homes and residential care facilities, the occupational hazards are notably the core concern for the health and safety of these worthy professionals who risk their lives in facilitating care for the patients irrespective of the costs the nurses incur on their personal lives. From the legal perceptive, it is notable that all federal employees have a right to have safe working environment devoid of dangers that may impact personal lives. The OSHA law facilitates the course for raising concerns over issues of health and safety concern in case of an injury. The CNAs face remarkable hazards, although not fatal, most of these hazards massively cause injuries to the professionals. Factors that may compromise worker health & safety in nursing homes In reflecting the underlying causes of the workplace hazards, the core violations arising in the course of work include aspects of training, stress, poorly designed work systems as well as, undue accounts for identifying the hazards and assessing the risks therein (Schenk, Meyer, Behr, Kuhlmey&Holzhausen, 2013). The course of hazards for the care officials includes aspects as the assistive equipment, job training, and the workplace environment. The various issues causing hazards include the injuries that arise during lifting, bathing and handling the resident patients. Further, the patients receiving the care are also notable causes of injuries to the care facilitators (Schenk, Meyer, Behr, Kuhlmey&Holzhausen, 2013). The aggressions of the residents receiving the care cause notable injuries to the CNAs. Notably, the CNAs working with these elements such as the cause of lifting the residents, the injuries occur regularly (Rice, 2013). The introduction of servicing equipment for the CNAs to employ in caring for the patients does not alleviate the course for injuries, rather, this equipment is also a source of hazards for the care nurses. The aggressions of the patients, for instance, the patients with dementia among other chronic health issues are a notable threat to the safety of the CNAs since these conventions reflect the engagement of these patients with the care facilitators in the working environment (Schenk, Meyer, Behr, Kuhlmey&Holzhausen, 2013). These establishments are worth noting in facilitating the care procedures and processes for the patients while observing safety and security of the health workers. Further, aside from the injuries occurring, the work related injuries also affect job satisfaction negatively, leading to the shortage of the CNAs workforce (Toles, Young &Ouslander, 2012). Thus, suggestion for interventions is essential to improving the workplace environment; hence, reduce the CNAs injury rates. Prevention and intervention strategies used to prevent, reduce or eliminate occupational hazards The interventions in effect include facilitation for workplace environment in reducing the CNAs injury. Such measures, for instance, include establishing a comprehensive training initiative for the CNAs for the newly hired nurses to equip them accordingly for the task. Further, the aspect of mandatory overtime affects the stressing aspect for nurses. Therefore, reducing mandatory overtime is key (Schenk, Meyer, Behr, Kuhlmey&Holzhausen, 2013). Further, facilitating support for the CNAs from established health officials and nurses will aid a long way in dressing the concerns of work related injuries. Reducing job turnover of the nurses means the workforce is sufficient, hence, assisting in reducing aspects of work stress and overtime for nurses (Schenk, Meyer, Behr, Kuhlmey&Holzhausen, 2013). This in effect aids the nurses in providing essential and sufficient care service, hence, reducing occurrences of the work related injuries. These interventions will aid vastly when employed accordingly in the working environment for the CNAs. Identification and role of agencies concerned with health & safety of workers in nursing homes The established BBP standards apply to all occupational exposures depending on the duties of the job under consideration in the US. However, with respect to the occupational hazards in home healthcare, notable players include the Department of Health and Human Services. Also, the Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is key to the maintenance of safety for nursing home workers (Toles, Young &Ouslander, 2012). In their roles, for instance, the NIOSH, publishes a review of the various hazards in home healthcare in the endeavor to raise awareness of the risks involved in this critical industry. Further, as monitoring bodies to the activities entailed in homecare health delivery, these bodies also to raising awareness. Also, they initiate and suggest prevention strategies to reduce the course of the injuries and fatalities that occur among the nursing workers in the healthcare industry. Organizations that impact nursing home quality of care Notably, the leading agency for regulation of the healthcare workforce contingent is the CDC. The CDC notes that the health sector is remarkably growing, employing over 18 million worker (Toles, Young &Ouslander, 2012). However, the workforce faces a wide range of work-related hazards from needle sticks to back injuries and violence and stress. These aspects constitute the need for these agencies and organizations establishing regulation and guidance for care of the workforce. Another notable formulation of the OSHA law covers the entire working fraternity (Toles, Young &Ouslander, 2012). This establishment focuses on the various issues related work injuries and safety within the working environment. Further, the formulations of these laws are essential in guiding the working course for all workers including the CNAs in the pursuit of safe and healthy working conditions. Further, various health research institutions are key in facilitating enlightenment on the various issues as they arise and the establishment of conventions for addressing the health concerns. Such include the RTI International, as well as, the learning institutions that conduct studies on the subject of work related issues within the health sector (Toles, Young &Ouslander, 2012). Thus, such formulations are notably working in hand with the health facilitators to provide a safe and conducive working continuum for the CNAs among other health professionals. Summary The course of this dissertation establishes that the demographics of the U.S population particularly the aging population are a core concern for the health sector. The health facilitators have to content with the vast elderly population and the need for healthcare facilitation for these people. Further, the demographics also reflect a growing population of the workforce. However, the nurse fraternity, particularly the CNAs is notably low, considering the needs of the populations. Thus, nursing care homes as well as resident care services, remain in high demand of the CNAs to facilitate the working process for sufficient healthcare. Moreover, work related injuries are highest among the CNAs although most injuries are non-fatal. The nursing fraternity has the highest work-related injuries. This realization impairs the quality of service as well as leads to higher nursing workforce turnover. Thus, it is essential to initiate successful interventions for the work related injuries to establish a conducive working environment for the nurses. Recommendations for new nursing home leaders to minimize safety concerns in the workplace In conclusion, it is notable that efforts to reduce the injuries related to patient handling are the course for personal experiences rather than scientific evidence. Thus, with the various evidence for interventions designed to reduce the injuries on the caregiver, the healthcare fraternity ought to implement such evidence-based findings accordingly to reduce the work relate injuries for the CNAs. The varied interventions include risk factor identification from analytic research, surveillance for problem identification and prioritization as well as, intervention development, evaluation, and implementation are key aspects to consider in engaging the intervention process to facilitate healthy and safe working environment for the CNAs. References Lugton, J., & McIntyre, R. (2010). Palliative care: The nursing role. Edinburgh: Elsevier/Churchill Livingstone. Melnyk, B. M., &Fineout-Overholt, E. (2011). Evidence-based practice in nursing & healthcare: A guide to best practice. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Rice, R. (2013). Home care nursing practice: Concepts and application. St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier. Schenk, L., Meyer, R., Behr, A., Kuhlmey, A., &Holzhausen, M. (2013). Quality of life in nursing homes: results of a qualitative resident survey. Quality Of Life Research, 22(10), 2929-2938. doi:10.1007/s11136-013-0400-2 Toles, M., Young, H. M., &Ouslander, J. (2012). Improving Care Transitions in Nursing Homes. Generations, 36(4), 78-85. Read More