Thinking about spring cleaning? Be sure to include clearing out drugs, biologicals, medical supplies, and devices that are expired, and to double-check that equipment maintenance for even the smallest items has been done on time.
Behind every hospital-acquired infection (HAI) or medical error statistic is a patient. Through the efforts of people like Rosie Bartel and Linda McKinley, RN, BSN, MPH, CIC, FAPIC, strides have been made toward getting patients involved in discussions around patient safety, research, and...
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), healthcare workers are increasingly reporting workplace harassment, burnout, and poor mental health. Recently, NIOSH teamed with Total Worker Health Centers and advocates in the industry to create Impact Wellbeing in...
Lately, I’ve been doing a lot work that involves above-the-ceiling inspections, so I’ve been spending a fair amount of time in “backstage” areas. As my knees will tell you (as they have been reminding me), climbing ladders and poking one’s head above the ceiling is an arduous task—one for which...
The dosing approach simply states that the amount and type of training you give a staff member or group needs to be based on what they need to know to do their jobs well, instead of a one-size-fits-all solution.
Climate change has affected almost every aspect of human civilization, and everyone, including laboratories, must adapt to meet the dangers. But how much will climate change force laboratories and lab safety to change?
There always seems to be a lot of interest in how folks manage conditions in the environment, particularly how “other” folks are managing conditions in the environment. Clearly, the interest in all this is being reinforced on a regular basis by the accreditation organizations’ focus on the...
When assessing the needs of each patient, don’t forget to ask about religious requirements, including patients who are seeking care virtually or engaging in education through hospital-provided tablets or other devices.
Ergonomics is a safety topic that gets little respect in the laboratory, but it can become very important over time. The effects of poor ergonomics are cumulative, and they can appear suddenly. When they arise, the pain and treatment are often difficult, and as people age, healing is slower as...
