Miguel Valencia-Contrera, Flerida Rivera-Rojas, José D Castro-Bastidas, Maria Lucia do Carmo Cruz Robazzi, María Quintana-Zavala, Sandra Valenzuela-Suazo
{"title":"Undergraduate Occupational Health Nursing Education in Chile, Colombia, Brazil, and Mexico.","authors":"Miguel Valencia-Contrera, Flerida Rivera-Rojas, José D Castro-Bastidas, Maria Lucia do Carmo Cruz Robazzi, María Quintana-Zavala, Sandra Valenzuela-Suazo","doi":"10.1177/21650799231196885","DOIUrl":"10.1177/21650799231196885","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Occupational health nursing plays a fundamental role in addressing the health of the working population; however, training in this area differs around the world in terms of levels, duration, content, and requirements, and the current situation in Latin American countries is unknown. The objective of this study was to analyze undergraduate nursing education in occupational health from an international perspective considering Chile, Colombia, Brazil, and Mexico.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a multicenter, descriptive study, based on bibliographic methodology, whose sample was documentary, consulting government databases in Chile, Colombia, Brazil, and Mexico.</p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>Heterogeneity was identified within the training in the countries analyzed, with a small number of courses in the course structures; in most cases, the courses were taught in the last years of training and predominantly as elective courses.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The authors recommend that training centers develop programs associated with occupational nursing, which is considered an imperative to strengthen public health in developing countries and an ethical and equitable response to the working population.</p>","PeriodicalId":48968,"journal":{"name":"Workplace Health & Safety","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10590725","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Empowering Nurses to Engage in Self-Care Practices During and Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Philippines.","authors":"Rowalt Alibudbud","doi":"10.1177/21650799231178645","DOIUrl":"10.1177/21650799231178645","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48968,"journal":{"name":"Workplace Health & Safety","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10273044/pdf/10.1177_21650799231178645.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9651649","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Baldia Factory Fire Tragedy: A Black Spot for Workplace Safety Standards in Pakistan.","authors":"Abdul Rafay","doi":"10.1177/21650799231218946","DOIUrl":"10.1177/21650799231218946","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The Baldia Factory (BF) fire incident in Pakistan was among the most tragic workplace fires in the world claiming the lives of more than 259 people.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A case study was conducted to evaluate the state of the safety measures, firefighting systems, building regulations, employees' documentation, and compensation structures.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The case study found many deficiencies in the fire safety program and lack of adherence to and enforcement of existing fire regulations.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Findings are discussed in the context of fire safety regulations and enforcement in low- and middle-income countries such as Pakistan.</p>","PeriodicalId":48968,"journal":{"name":"Workplace Health & Safety","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139698684","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"International Occupational Health: Why Does It Matter?","authors":"Sarah Sally Foster-Chang","doi":"10.1177/21650799231178655","DOIUrl":"10.1177/21650799231178655","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48968,"journal":{"name":"Workplace Health & Safety","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9764478","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"CE Module: Risk Factors for SARS-CoV-2 Among a Cohort of Health care Workers in Lebanon.","authors":"","doi":"10.1177/21650799241228240","DOIUrl":"10.1177/21650799241228240","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48968,"journal":{"name":"Workplace Health & Safety","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139698685","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Carine J Sakr, Farouk F Abou Hassan, Lina Fakih, Mirna Bou Hamdan, Sara Assaf, Diana Rahme, Nada M Melhem
{"title":"Risk Factors for SARS-CoV-2 Among a Cohort of Healthcare Workers in Lebanon.","authors":"Carine J Sakr, Farouk F Abou Hassan, Lina Fakih, Mirna Bou Hamdan, Sara Assaf, Diana Rahme, Nada M Melhem","doi":"10.1177/21650799231214234","DOIUrl":"10.1177/21650799231214234","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Healthcare workers (HCWs) faced substantial risk of infection during the COVID-19 outbreak. This study aims to determine the prevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in a cross-sectional sample of HCWs as well as risk factors associated with exposure to SARS-CoV-2.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study was conducted between March and May 2021 at the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC), a tertiary hospital located in Lebanon. Socio-demographic and clinical data, as well as data on exposure, PCR results, PPE adherence, and vaccination status, were collected using an online questionnaire. Sera were also collected to determine seropositivity using commercially available enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) targeting the spike (S) and the nucleocapsid proteins (NCP) of SARS-CoV-2.</p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>Among 92 recruited HCWs, 72.3% received PPE training, more than 70% were adherent to using appropriate PPEs, and around 80% were vaccinated. Nurses in this study population were at higher risk of exposure compared to medical doctors, technicians, and other HCWs. Among the HCWs who performed a PCR test, 28.6% were infected with SARs-CoV-2 with workplace exposure not associated with COVID-19 infection. All vaccinated HCWs were seropositive for anti-S IgG with high titer (≥384 BAU/mL), with a significantly higher median anti-S IgG titer compared to unvaccinated HCWs with previous infection (384 vs. 140.1 BAU/mL; <i>p</i> = .0043).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our study highlights the importance of implementing strict infection control policies among HCWs and deploying an effective COVID-19 vaccination strategy. More studies are needed in Lebanon to assess risk factors of SARS-CoV-2 exposure in the workplace.</p>","PeriodicalId":48968,"journal":{"name":"Workplace Health & Safety","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139075597","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Heydi L Rojas-Perez, Maribel A Díaz-Vásquez, Rosa Jeuna Díaz-Manchay, Sandra Zeña-Ñañez, Virgilio E Failoc-Rojas, Daniel Smith
{"title":"Nurses' Environmental Practices in Northern Peruvian Hospitals.","authors":"Heydi L Rojas-Perez, Maribel A Díaz-Vásquez, Rosa Jeuna Díaz-Manchay, Sandra Zeña-Ñañez, Virgilio E Failoc-Rojas, Daniel Smith","doi":"10.1177/21650799231163130","DOIUrl":"10.1177/21650799231163130","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Decreasing emissions of the global healthcare sector will be an important tool for decreasing the magnitude of climate change. The environmental practices of nurses can have a positive environmental impact. The purpose of this study is to identify environmental practices performed by nurses while at work and home along with their associated factors.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study is a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted by surveying nurses from two public hospitals in Lambayeque, Peru. We utilized the Nurses' Environmental Awareness Tool to collect information about nurses' knowledge on environmental impacts, their risk to health, and environmental behaviors at both work and home.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 106 participants who responded, the average age was 41 years, and 29 (28%) worked in surgical services. A little more than half of nurses reported appropriate energy use (51%) and recycling (53%) at work, while 94 (89%) implemented environmental biosafety. There was an observed association between age and years of employment with appropriate energy use, recycling, implementation of environmental biosafety, appropriate chemical substance use, and preventing medication waste.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Nurses reported a favorable tendency toward adequate environmental practices at work and at home. However, more studies are needed to identify the factors that increase nurses' use of these practices.</p><p><strong>Applications to practice: </strong>As one of the most trusted professions, professional nurses have an opportunity to play a pivotal role in promoting environmental health and practices in both the workplace and their personal lives. This study highlights areas of potential intervention in the workplace to develop and promote appropriate environmental practices by nurses to decrease pollution by the healthcare sector.</p>","PeriodicalId":48968,"journal":{"name":"Workplace Health & Safety","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9602851","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Janelle Z Martelino, Eunice D Soh, Jenny Hsin-Chun Tsai
{"title":"Engaging Interdisciplinary Professionals for Worker Health Equity.","authors":"Janelle Z Martelino, Eunice D Soh, Jenny Hsin-Chun Tsai","doi":"10.1177/21650799231217305","DOIUrl":"10.1177/21650799231217305","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48968,"journal":{"name":"Workplace Health & Safety","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139075598","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pamela Snyder, Eva Carbone, Karen Heaton, Stephanie Hammond
{"title":"Program Evaluation of Fit to Pass®, a Remotely Accessible Health Promotion Program for Commercial Motor Vehicle Truck Drivers.","authors":"Pamela Snyder, Eva Carbone, Karen Heaton, Stephanie Hammond","doi":"10.1177/21650799231193587","DOIUrl":"10.1177/21650799231193587","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Chronic health conditions are highly prevalent among truck drivers due to many unique occupational and environmental stressors. Health promotion programs are shown to be effective in improving truck driver health outcomes; however, there is no research on whether such programs can increase the length of a driver's Department of Transportation (DOT) medical certificate. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to evaluate Fit to Pass (FTP), a remotely accessible health promotion program available for truck drivers on improved health outcomes and increased DOT medical certificate length.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Program evaluation included an evaluation of the FTP coaching guide against evidence-based practice guidelines. An analysis of a limited dataset of 22 truck driver records examined the effectiveness of the program in achieving improved health outcomes and increased medical certification length.</p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>A review of the literature revealed three major themes: (a) motivational interviewing to increase driver intention and self-efficacy; (b) mobile health care technology to connect hard-to-reach truck drivers; and (c) effectiveness of structured multicomponent health promotion programs. After participation in FTP, truck drivers experienced a mean decrease in weight and body mass index (BMI) of 4.6 lbs and 1.3 kg/m<sup>2</sup>, respectively. The lengths of initial DOT medical certificates were compared with DOT medical certificates received at the time of recertification (post-FTP). Only eight participants had the potential for improvement in certificate length. Of those, three truck drivers achieved an increased DOT medical certificate length at the time of recertification.</p><p><strong>Conclusion/applications to practice: </strong>FTP offers tailored and comprehensive health coaching for truck drivers using current evidence-based practice guidelines to educate and reinforce healthy lifestyle habits. Analysis of a limited dataset revealed a mean decrease in BMI and a trend of increased DOT medical certification lengths after participation in FTP; however, further research with larger sample sizes is recommended.</p>","PeriodicalId":48968,"journal":{"name":"Workplace Health & Safety","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10486419","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lisa A Jaegers, Rose McAndrew, Andrea Cornelius, Susan D Scott, Sean Pridgeon, Mazen El Ghaziri, Jennifer K Bello
{"title":"COVID-19 Preparedness, Stressors, and Data-Driven Solutions for Healthcare Workers at a Regional Rural-Urban Hospital System: A Longitudinal Total Worker Health<sup>®</sup> Study.","authors":"Lisa A Jaegers, Rose McAndrew, Andrea Cornelius, Susan D Scott, Sean Pridgeon, Mazen El Ghaziri, Jennifer K Bello","doi":"10.1177/21650799231202792","DOIUrl":"10.1177/21650799231202792","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>During the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, healthcare workers were devastated by the insufficient preparedness to respond to their patients' and personal health needs. A gap exists in resources to prevent or reduce acute and long-term healthcare worker mental illnesses resulting from COVID-19 frontline response.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We performed an exploratory, mixed methods, longitudinal study of healthcare workers at a regional rural-urban hospital system in the Midwest United States during the COVID-19 response (4 timepoints, 2020). Using the Total Worker Health<sup>®</sup> (TWH) participatory needs assessment approach, self-identified frontline COVID-19 workers participated in a survey including Health-Related Quality of Life, Impact of Event Scale, and a modified version of the American Nursing Association COVID-19 survey; and a hospital timeline tracked system-level activities.</p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>Response rate at Timepoint (T)1 was 21.7% (<i>N</i> = 39) and of those, 14 (36%) completed all four surveys. From T1 to T4, the rate of COVID-19 patients steadily increased, staff exceeded the threshold for post-traumatic stress disorder at T1 and T4; staff reported not enough rest or sleep 50% of the month, T1-T4. Helpfulness of family support increased but community support decreased, T1-T4. Concerns with performing new tasks increased; the challenges related to lack of protective equipment and negative media decreased. Workers wanted to be involved in decision-making, desired timely communication, and needed adequate physical, environmental, and psychological supports.</p><p><strong>Conclusions/applications for practice: </strong>Utilization of a TWH<sup>®</sup> strategy for describing health needs, hospital response, and multi-level staff suggestions to workplace health solutions during the COVID-19 pandemic identified evidence-based health promotion interventions in a hospital system.</p>","PeriodicalId":48968,"journal":{"name":"Workplace Health & Safety","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49693315","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}