OSHA Proceeding With Healthcare Rulemakings
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will proceed with three rulemakings focused on the healthcare industry—standards for COVID-19, infectious diseases, and workplace violence—the Department of Labor (DOL) announced as part of the fall 2022 unified regulatory agenda unveiled January 4.
Holiday Decorations Can Cost a Lot If They Come With a Citation
A hospital in Kansas was cited by CMS in 2020 was cited under K-0753, the CMS K-tag for such festive adornments, for failing “to provide corridors safe from excessive combustible decorations” after a lab supply closet was spotted “completely covered with combustible decorations.”
CMS Urges Hospitals to Take Violence Prevention Steps
To provide care in a safe setting for both patients and healthcare workers, hospitals need to identify patients at risk for intentional harm to themselves or others, CMS recommended in its November 28 memo, as well as identify environmental safety risks for such patients and provide education and training for staff and volunteers. CMS said it expects hospitals to demonstrate how they identify patients at risk of self-harm or harm to others and what steps they are taking to minimize those risks.
PSQH: The Podcast Episode 67 – Workplace Violence Prevention in Healthcare
On episode 67 of PSQH: The Podcast, AlGene Caraulia, vice president of Integration and Sustainability for Crisis Prevention Institute, talks about workplace violence prevention in healthcare.
Presbyterian Healthcare Services CMO Talks Strategy, Patient Safety, and Workforce
Mitchell leads more than 1,100 physicians and advanced practice clinicians. He also provides clinical oversight for the Albuquerque, New Mexico—based health system’s medical staff operations at nine hospitals. HealthLeaders recently talked with him about a range of topics, including clinical leadership at PHS, healthcare worker burnout, patient safety at PHS, and workforce shortages.
New Handbook Tackles Workplace Violence Prevention in Healthcare
The Crisis Prevention Institute has published the Workplace Violence Prevention Handbook, a free resource detailing recommendations and strategies to help healthcare professionals across the board improve their organizations’ workplace violence prevention programming.
Healthcare Leaders Share Thoughts on How Hospitals Can Invest in Workplace Safety
Incidents of workplace violence cost hospitals approximately $2.7 billion in 2016, according to a study from the American Hospital Association. Additionally, 13% of employee sick time is the result of workplace violence, according to the American Nurses Association. Workplace violence-related absenteeism can cost hospitals $53.7 million a year, according to the AHA report.
Mass General Brigham Issues Patient Code of Conduct
Under a newly imposed Patient Code of Conduct, patients and visitors who disrupt care, make verbal or physical threats — including racist, sexist, discriminatory or disrespectful comments about clinicians, other hospital staff, other patients and visitors — could face a verbal reprimand, and even expulsion from the Boston hospital and possible suspension of future care access.
ECRI: Healthcare Organizations Must Address Racist Behavior in the Workplace
The majority of the racist incidents involved patients and family members making inappropriate comments related to race or ethnicity. These comments can have a negative impact on the mental health of healthcare providers—leading them to consider leaving their jobs at a time when workforce shortages are a significant problem at healthcare organizations.
Call 911! Emergency Department Doctors, Nurses Need Help Now Against Violence
Assaults in the emergency department are on the rise with nearly one-fourth (24%) of emergency physicians reporting being assaulted multiple times a week, according to the findings of a new poll from the American College of Emergency Physicians.