@article{ref1,
title="Complexity of occupational exposures for home health-care workers: nurses vs. home health aides",
journal="Journal of Nursing Management",
year="2016",
author="Hittle, Beverly and Agbonifo, Noma and Suarez, Rassull and Davis, Kermit G. and Ballard, Tangela",
volume="24",
number="8",
pages="1071-1079",
abstract="AIM: To identify occupational exposures for home health-care nurses and aides. <br><br>BACKGROUND: Home health-care workers' occupational injury rates in the USA are higher than the national average, yet research on causative exposures and hazards is limited. <br><br>METHODS: Participants were interviewed about annual frequency of occupational exposures and hazards. Exposure and hazard means were compared between home health-care nurses and aides using a Wilcoxon two-sample test. <br><br>RESULTS: A majority of the sample was over 40 years old and obese, potentially increasing injury risks. Home health-care nurses performed more clinical tasks, increasing exposure to blood-borne pathogens. Home health-care aides performed more physical tasks with risk for occupational musculoskeletal injuries. They also dispensed oral medications and anti-cancer medications, and were exposed to drug residue at a frequency comparable to home health-care nurses. Both groups were exposed to occupational second-hand smoke. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Establishing employee safety-related policies, promoting healthy lifestyle among staff, and making engineered tools readily available to staff can assist in decreasing exposures and hazards. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Implications for nursing management include implementation of health-promotion programmes, strategies to reduce exposure to second-hand smoke, ensuring access to and education on assistive and safety devices, and education for all staff on protection against drug residue.<br><br>© 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0966-0429",
doi="10.1111/jonm.12408",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jonm.12408"
}