Abstract
This issue of Workplace Health & Safety contains a Continuing Nursing Education Module on “A Review of Design and Policy Interventions to Promote Nurses’ Restorative Breaks in Health Care Workplaces” 1.0 contact hour of continuing nursing education credit will be awarded by AAOHN upon successful completion of the posttest and evaluation.
A certificate will be awarded when the following requirements are met by the participant: (1) Participant logs on to the AAOHN LMS website at www.aaohn.org/education/online-learning-center and enrolls in the course ($10 members; $15 non-members); (2) The completed posttest and course evaluation are entered online at at http://www.aaohn.org by February 2018; (3) A score of 75% (6 correct answers) is achieved by the participant.
Upon completion of this lesson, the occupational health nurse will be able to:
Discuss causes and consequences of fatigue among nurses, and interventions to alleviate fatigue
The American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, Inc. is an Approved Provider of continuing nursing education by the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, Inc., an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
The American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, Inc. is additionally approved as a CNE provider by the California Board of Registered Nursing (#CEP9283).
Contact hours received for successful completion of the posttest and evaluation may be used for relicensure, certification, and re-certification.
Discusses causes of nurses’ fatigue and the negative impact of fatigue on patient outcomes and the health of staff members Involved a systematic literature review Included 27 keywords All of the above
Affects more than 75% of working nurses Began in the 1970s due to staff shortages Began in the 1990s to help with cities’ anti-pollution trip-reduction efforts Are preferred over 8-hour shifts by most nurses
In 43% of their work shifts, nurses were not free from patient-care responsibilities during their breaks. On average, the total amount of time that nurses spent on break was only 26 minutes during a 12-hour shift. Only 15% of nurses reported taking a meal-length break “frequently or always.” Nurses had no opportunities at all for breaks during 11% of their working shifts.
Musculoskeletal and needlestick injuries Trip/fall injuries and needlestick injuries Musculoskeletal injuries and stress-related claims Stress-related claims and needlestick injuries
Slower response time Errors of omission and commission Compromised problem-solving skills All of the above
Working more than 8 hours per shift More than 12.5 hours per shift Working more than 48 hours per week Working at more than one institution during a two-week period
Nutritious food and drink Exercise Sleep Time away from patient-care responsibilities
Extensive research shows that health-care workers benefit from access to fresh air and sunshine. Break areas in health-care institutions that have ample green plants are associated with lower patient-care errors. Research studies that compare effectiveness of healthy-design break areas have not been extended to the health care industry. Walls painted in bold primary colors, rather than pastels, promote perceptions of increased alertness in health care staff.