Aaohn J
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Review Comparative Study
Painful rib syndrome. A variant of myofascial pain syndrome.
1. Painful rib syndrome has many similarities to a new classification of pain conditions called myofascial pain syndrome. Both conditions respond well to noninvasive, supportive nursing interventions. 2. ⋯ Prognosis is not gender or age specific, but is related to treatment response. 4. Employees and their families living and working with pain syndromes need the nurses' ongoing support and advocacy. Pain syndromes are difficult to diagnose and treatment may not eliminate the pain.
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1. Over 30 million workers are exposed to hazardous noise on the worksite. Continual exposure to high noise levels damages and destroys hearing cells within the ear, making noise induced hearing loss an irreversible impairment. 2. ⋯ When this is not sufficient, two types of personal hearing protection devices are available: passive hearing protection devices such as ear muffs, canal caps, and ear plugs, which reduce noise mechanically; and active noise reduction devices, which electronically cancel sound waves at the ear. 4. The most effective hearing protection devices are those with which the worker is most comfortable will use 100% of the time. The occupational health nurse has a major role in promoting increased use of hearing protection devices through continued contact with workers, administrators, and safety personnel.
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This study sought to determine the prevalence and impact of violence and sexual harassment experienced by registered nurses (RNs) in their workplaces in Illinois. A random sample of 1,130 RNs were selected to participate in the mail survey. The instrument used was the Nurse Assault Survey originally developed by the Nurse Assault Project Team in Ontario, Canada, and modified by the author. ⋯ Results demonstrate that nurses need to take and active role in fostering a work environment free from violence and sexual harassment. They should be knowledgeable about institutional policies and, where none exist, they should work with administrators to develop them. Prevention and intervention programs should be developed for both student and registered nurses.
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1. The workers' compensation system provides benefits to workers who are injured or made ill in the course of employment or their dependents regardless of fault. 2. ⋯ Workers' compensation covers occupational injuries and occupational diseases, which may include cumulative trauma and mental stress claims. Nurses may be instrumental in evaluating and planning for an injured employee's return to work and occasionally in detecting fraudulent claims.
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1. As the numbers of persons infected with bloodborne diseases continues to increase, it is paramount that all health care workers exhibit behaviors reflecting unerring compliance with universal precautions. 2. ⋯ To better understand how attitudes impact behaviors, a valid and reliable tool was developed which measured health care workers' attitudes toward bloodborne diseases and universal precautions. 4. Training programs addressing attitudes and knowledge may help change health care workers' non-compliant behaviors into behaviors reflecting compliance with universal precautions.