Introduction
Nurses frequently face health risks due to the prevalence of dangerous substances in the healthcare sector, which is widely regarded as one of the most hazardous work environments. Increasing knowledge and understanding of the importance of nurse practitioners’ workplace safety is an immediate need. Therefore, this study aims to highlight the four most significant threats to nurse practitioners’ health in the workplace and discuss methods for mitigating chemical and environmental hazards.
Common Occupational Hazards Experienced by Nurses
Walton and Rogers (2017) state that occupational health hazards in the healthcare industry include biological, physical, chemical, and psychosocial risks. Dangers from biological sources include any pathogens that could be spread by direct patient-to-patient contact or through the exchange of bodily fluids. Percutaneous sharp injuries caused by a contaminated needle or other sharp instrument are the most common way that healthcare workers contract blood pathogens like the hepatitis B, C, and D viruses or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) while on the job (Walton & Rogers, 2017). The risk of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which causes tuberculosis, spreading from patient to healthcare provider is also well-known.
As with any nursing profession, home health care nurses are vulnerable to physical harm on the job as they support the patient with routine tasks. Needlestick injuries are only one example of the physical risks that nurses face on the job, which can lead to the spread of infection (Denge & Rakhudu, 2022). Nurse practitioners face a variety of physical risks on the job, including those related to electricity/fire, temperature extremes, noise, and radiation.
Nurses face a number of psychosocial risks on the job, including concerns regarding exposure to potentially harmful substances, fear of physical harm, an excessive workload, a lot of responsibility, being treated poorly by superiors, and being bullied by peers (Walton & Rogers, 2017). The problem of sexual harassment and violence against nurses is multifaceted, and it has evolved into an occupational hazard. Nurses are more likely than other workers to be subjected to offensive behavior on the job (Kahsay et al., 2020).
Healthcare facilities often house a variety of potentially dangerous chemicals that could harm those who are exposed to them. Nurses may be exposed to chemicals such as those found in antibiotics, chemotherapeutic drugs, antiseptics, ethylene oxide, formaldehyde, bleaches, rubber goods, cleaning supplies, soaps, detergents, and solvents while on the job (Walton & Rogers, 2017). A nurse practitioner’s safety is seriously threatened by the inappropriate disposal of hazardous biomedical waste (HBMW).
It is the employer’s obligation to supply and maintain, to the fullest extent feasible, a working atmosphere free from hazards to employees’ health. The “Occupational Health and Safety Team” is responsible for a variety of tasks inside the facility, including risk evaluation, monitoring and surveillance of employee health, and dissemination of relevant information. When discussing safety management, it is important to make reference to the established procedures and assigned duties that make up the safety monitoring system. With a strong emphasis on safety work and assessment procedures, an organization may maintain and improve a secure performance.
For nurses to be able to perform their jobs safely, their employers must provide ongoing training on the many potential dangers they may encounter on the job and how they may help reduce those risks. This viewpoint suggests that OHS knowledge is valuable and can be utilized when businesses aim to reduce the incidence of workplace injuries.
Disinfection
A nurse practitioner’s safety is seriously threatened by the inappropriate disposal of hazardous biomedical waste (HBMW). That is why it is crucial to have a solid waste management plan in place and to use proper sanitation and disposal measures—especially during a COVID-19 pandemic.
When combined with mechanical processing, the chemical disinfection method is commonly used to treat waste. Disinfectants used in-house or on-site have the power to remove virus spores, allowing for efficient virus management. Benefits such as low appropriate dosage, stability, speed, and a wide sterilizing range are inherent to this method. In addition to being highly successful in killing microorganisms, chemical disinfectants can also inactivate bacterial spores, meaning that their usage leaves no residual dangers (Wang et al., 2020). When used in hospitals, it can protect nurses from harmful chemicals and prevent the spread of infectious diseases.
This method employs high-energy microwaves in a vacuum to induce inverse polymerization at temperatures between 177 and 540 degrees Celsius, to decompose organic substances (Ilyas et al., 2020). The Chinese Ministry of Ecology and Environment found that this method of disinfection is very effective for on-site waste decontamination, with logarithmic ratios of eliminating hydrophilic pathogens (Wang et al., 2020). Waste transportation concerns are eliminated, and time is saved, thanks to on-site sterilization. Microwave disinfection is used in conjunction with autoclaving, a steam sterilization method, to treat COVID-19. Occupational health and safety for hospital staff can also be improved by the construction of a mobile microwave treatment center.
Nursing professionals must pay close attention to the usage of personal protective equipment. Vaporized hydrogen peroxide (vH2O2) is a proven method for disinfecting and sanitizing surfaces and equipment from harmful microorganisms, pathogens, and infections (Barcelo, 2020). This enabled the recycling and reusing of protective goods following thorough disinfection, significantly enhancing the safety of nurses’ working environments.
When it comes to sterilization, pyrolysis is an advanced technological method. Typical processes performed in this range include pyrolysis-oxidation, plasma pyrolysis, induction-based pyrolysis, and laser-based pyrolysis, all of which occur between 540 and 830 degrees Celsius (Datta et al., 2018). Toxins are completely neutralized, which is an unusual property. This method reduces waste volume by a significant amount and uses less energy than traditional methods. What is more, this technique has not been shown to pose any risks; thus, it is generally believed to be a secure technological option. It can be used in hospitals to eliminate the spread of disease and the use of harmful chemicals.
Conclusion
This study looked specifically at four significant occupational risks that all nurses face on the job, such as chemical, psychological, physical, and biological. Risk assessment, health monitoring and surveillance, information distribution, and the promotion of a culture of safety management were all cited as best practices for healthcare facilities to implement. Chemical, microwave, pyrolysis, and personal protective equipment (PPE) reprocessing were all proposed as ways to deal with chemical and environmental threats. Although the research report does not include an exhaustive list of practices and solutions, it raises awareness on the topic of OHS in nursing and proposes novel and effective practices.
References
Walton, A., & Rogers, B. (2017). Workplace hazards faced by nursing assistants in the United States: A focused literature review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(5), 544. Web.