health and safety nursing assignment help in adelaide

health and safety nursing assignment help in adelaide

Health and Safety in Nursing

1. Introduction to Health and Safety in Nursing

As the providers of almost 24-hour care, the role of the nurse in promoting and maintaining a safe environment in the hospital is vital. This first chapter introduces the topic of the book – health and safety in the nursing profession, emphasizing its important significance in nursing practice. The basic concepts of health and safety are explained, and the relevance of these issues in the nursing practice is discussed. The different types of risks faced by nurses and other healthcare professionals are explored. Issues relating to the legal framework and the professional responsibilities of the nurses in relation to health and safety are examined in detail later on in the book. This section provides an overview of the content of the rest of the book and it concludes with a brief explanation of the structure of the book. This first section may seem quite legalistic to the reader, as there are many references to legislation. However, it is important to keep in mind that it is being written in the context of nursing practice in the UK and much of the legislation referred to is UK law. In order to provide a coherent text that reflects key ideas and themes of the entire essay, the information provided here will be used to help support a critical understanding of how nurses can actually apply a number of important principles and concepts in health and safety to real-life situations in their everyday working environments. Also, the understanding of the legislation that is introduced at the early stages of the book will greatly help in understanding the implications of health and safety failures in the workplace. In addition, it will become evident that such failures on the part of employing authorities to provide safe systems of work can have massive implications for nursing professionals and recourse to the legal institutions of the country may be necessary to correct such deficiencies in a workplace.

2. Importance of Health and Safety in Nursing Practice

A safe and healthy work setting not only protects staff from injury and illness, but also increases staff retention and satisfaction. As well as complying with legal requirements, a commitment to health and safety helps avoid accidents and work-related ill health, and also helps to reduce litigation and absence. Online mental health and musculoskeletal conditions, both of which rank in the top four reasons for sickness absence, are clearly linked to the work environment as is the spread of infection. The general public and the patient expect nurses to work in a safe and effective way. If nurses act to enhance their practice, to protect patients and colleagues, and put their patient’s interests first, they can be sure that they are taking the right pathway as set out in the code by the NMC. NMC guidelines state that ‘you must act in the best interests of people in your care, you must protect confidential information, you must act without delay if you believe that you, a colleague or anyone else may be putting someone at risk, you must make sure that your conduct justifies the public’s trust and confidence in you’ (NMC, 2015). Personal protective equipment should be available for all staff to use when necessary and for tasks that carry health and safety risks. This may include wearing gloves, aprons, gowns, masks, eye protection and head cover as a nurse. Risk assessment in practice can be a case of ‘forgetting the opportunities that will come out of it, the professional conversation that you will have with your line manager, the development and progress you can put into place from doing the risk assessment’ says Griffith. This will establish a system of checks and supervision that will identify specific hazards and unsafe practices. Nurseries, workplaces and all care providers are required by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to record and keep a record of any significant risk assessments and to have a policy and guidance in place for health and safety and to review such policies at least once a year. For any new or expectant mothers, a risk assessment should also be undertaken by the employer to determine whether it is necessary for the safety and well-being of the mother and her baby, to modify her work. Modern equipment with a high standard of infection control is also a tremendous influence on the health and safety of employers and patients, especially in medical and pre-hospital care. A variety of high standard commercial products are now available. These include the advanced electrolysed water technology, ultra low particulate air filtration and wound management dressings, together with high quality clinical waste and sharps disposal systems. Throughout work, staff must have due regard for their own health and safety and for other people who may be affected by their acts or omissions. The staff handbook states that staff must cooperate fully with management for the purpose of achieving a healthy and safe workplace and must not interfere with anything provided in the interests of health, safety and welfare. Staff are encouraged to participate and cooperate for the safety measures such as the fire warden and health and safety representative. Staff should make themselves familiar with the handbook and in any case of doubt, they should seek advice and assistance from the supervisor or the line manager. Last but not least, the employer is responsible for the employee’s health and safety, however employees do have a personal accountability to look after their own well-being and take care of others who might be affected by their actions. In particular cases, professional knowledge and good practice must be fully understood and incorporated within the decision-making process.

3. Key Regulations and Guidelines for Health and Safety in Nursing

The Health and Safety at Work Act is the primary piece of legislation covering occupational health and safety. Under this act, the employer has a responsibility to ensure the health, safety and welfare of employees. Employees must also accept their duty to ensure their own well-being and that of their colleagues. It is important that nurses familiarize themselves with the information contained in the NHS Constitution. This document outlines the guiding principles of the NHS in England and reflects the commitment the NHS makes to its patients and staff. The Constitution outlines the patient’s rights and the pledges that the NHS is expected to observe. When it comes to health and safety, it is important to identify and monitor risks. This is a legal requirement as stipulated by the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations. According to this law, employers are obliged to draw up and continually update a risk appraisal that contains a record of significant findings. This will help to promote a safer working environment as it will prevent employees being injured and developing associated illnesses. Nurses have additional responsibilities due to the nature of their work. For example, they must adhere to the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations which require the employer to identify which controlled substances are currently in use and that any risks are also assessed. In addition, the employer must make sure that all relevant employees are properly supervised and provided with access to any required information, training and protective equipment. Moreover, thorough health surveillance must be in place to detect any overexposure or health deterioration as a result of the substances. This is especially relevant as some medications and treatments could be considered controlled substances. Examples of these may include antimicrobials, cytotoxic drugs, strong opioids and some types of sedatives.

4. Implementing Health and Safety Measures in Nursing Settings

When it comes to the practical implementation of health and safety measures in nursing, specific guidance and advice from expert sources are invaluable. This is because the clinical environment is always changing and evolving in light of new research findings, technological advances, and patient needs. A good starting point for any nursing team is to carry out a comprehensive risk assessment to identify all potential hazards in the workplace. This is an important legal requirement, outlined under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. The main objective of risk assessment is to proactively minimize the risk of accidents and ill health occurring, both to patients and staff members. Risk assessments should be a continuous process, too, with regular reviews and updates to ensure that new risks are identified and addressed as the work environment changes over time. All healthcare employers have a legal duty to ensure that a documented health and safety policy is in place, practical steps are taken to implement measures to manage risks, and appropriate training is provided to all members of staff. Therefore, nurses can get involved in suggesting improvements and new measures to help reduce risks on the basis of regular risk assessments and can be heavily involved in the process of adapting the work environment to make it safer for both patients and other staff members. New staff and temporary workers should be given induction training to familiarize themselves with the layout of the workplace and be made aware of all key health and safety information. This can be achieved through a well-structured induction nursing programme, delivered by experienced staff members or outside trainers. Such programs contribute to a cultural shift towards shared accountability for health and safety measures, embedding awareness and good habits from the very start of an employee’s career at a new healthcare workplace. Last but not least, a good practice guide from the Royal College of Nursing advises that detailed health and safety information should be kept in one file, including risk assessments, records of staff training, and instruction and information manuals for key pieces of equipment. This allows nursing practitioners quick and easy access to the information they need to comply with health and safety measures, provides evidence of compliance to external regulating bodies, and can help to reinforce the culture of continued diligence in maintaining a safe and healthy workplace for all.

5. Promoting a Culture of Health and Safety in Nursing

One key strategy for promoting a safe work culture is education. As we have seen, a lack of knowledge around health and safety is one of the main barriers to workers reporting incidents and hazards. By making sure that all staff are aware of their rights and responsibilities and understand the common risks that they face, the hope is that there will be fewer accidents and work-related illnesses in the future. Training should be provided to all staff, at all levels, and should cover issues such as how to carry out risk assessments, the importance of good manual handling techniques, and the correct way to report incidents. Employers have a legal duty to reduce work-related accidents and ill health, and they must provide health and safety training to make sure employees can do their jobs safely. This requirement applies to everyone from the business owner to the most junior worker. The provision of training and development may be one of the methods used to encourage this because if employers create a culture of continual staff development, knowledge gaps and the risks posed by ignorance can be reduced. However, employers will have to think seriously about how they can increase workers’ knowledge and awareness, whatever methods are chosen. A first step in achieving widespread employee involvement is for firms to have a written health and safety policy that is clearly communicated to employees, and for this to include arrangements for health and safety training. This is the way of formalizing the commitment of the organization to health and safety, and it will also identify who needs to achieve and hold particular qualifications and competences. It is important for all workers to understand the general risks in the place in which they work. In the health sector, this means being aware of all potential risks to both workers and service users. For example, the main risks in a nurse’s day might include chemicals such as sterilizers, sharps, and various potentially violent patients. I think that the health sector in particular poses a number of unique risks, and so there may be more of a need for frequent health and safety updates for staff in this area compared to other sectors. However, the training and most importantly the continuation of learning should hopefully mean that we will have fewer incidents as our knowledge of our health and safety and its application in the workplace grows.