TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2016//
TI  - Complexity of occupational exposures for home health-care workers: nurses vs. home health aides
JO  - Journal of Nursing Management
A1  - Hittle, Beverly
A1  - Agbonifo, Noma
A1  - Suarez, Rassull
A1  - Davis, Kermit G.
A1  - Ballard, Tangela
SP  - 1071
EP  - 1079
VL  - 24
IS  - 8
N2  - 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>
LA  - en
SN  - 0966-0429
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jonm.12408
ID  - ref1
ER  -