 2003 AJN Table of Contents
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Health & Safety
American Journal of Nursing -
November, 2003 - Volume 103, Issue 11
Short-Staffed but Safe
Addressing the nursing shortage through workplace sensibility.
Our hospital is always short-staffed. Recently, I was
injured at work and missed several days. How can we solve the nursing shortage when nurses need to take time off for injuries or
illness due to workplace hazards?
Emphasizing safety and
health for nurses is clearly a part of solving the complex problem of the
nursing shortage. The lack of focus on the well-being of nurses may result
from many influences, including economic factors, health care cultural
norms (for example, doctor–nurse relationships), and the impact of an
aging workforce. But when work conditions cause nurses to be sick or
injured, there are clearly effects on immediate staffing, recruitment, and
long-term retention. Nurses who are ill or afraid of getting injured at
work will not be on duty today and are more likely to search out other,
“safer” career options tomorrow.
In 2001 the ANA published a survey that concluded that
an amazing 54% of 4,000 nurses surveyed would not recommend nursing as a
career. Safety and health issues topped their concerns, including
How can you ensure your safety and avoid work-related
illnesses?
Assess your workplace for hazards. Find the top three things that you believe might cause a serious
injury to you or make you ill. Is it patient lifting or needles with no safety
devices? Do you care for patients with unknown respiratory illnesses
without using an appropriate mask (respiratory protection)? Are unruly
visitors threatening you?
Talk with your employee health professionals, and offer to work on teams or committees to address what
you consider hazards. Find resources to help you reduce the risks in your
workplace (see Resources, right).
Determine what actions or equipment will reduce risks for you and your colleagues. Are there lifting devices
in the facility? Do you have an opportunity to evaluate and recommend safer
needles as new products are developed? Have you been trained and fit-tested
with an N-95 mask that you can use when caring for a patient with
tuberculosis (TB) or someone with suspected SARS? Does your employer have
an effective procedure for dealing with unruly visitors?
If these measures fail or you do not get the support
you expect from your employer, a more aggressive approach may be required.
The shortage of nurses is clearly influenced by the
ongoing health and safety hazards that nurses face in the workplace. You
have a role in finding, assessing, and addressing these hazards to ensure
your own safety and to make nursing a safer and healthier profession
for the future.
Elise Handelman is director of the Office of
Occupational Health Nursing at the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA). The views expressed in this article do not
necessarily reflect those of OSHA.
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