Are nurses exposed to more workplace hazards than doctors?

Rebecca Wilson

English

8/17/21

Nursing as a career is ultimately important in the society. In involves helping and taking care of sick and old people in the society. Nursing is definitely a sacrificial career that offers rewards. However, there are a number of hazards that nurses get exposed to at workplace. It has been reported that nurses spend average of several days away from work in a year because they are injured or because they are ill. The rate at which nurses get injured or fall ill has been estimated to be higher that other employees in the health sector (Rohde et al., 2013). This paper shall endeavor to prove that nurses are exposed to more hazards than doctors and deduce how these hazards affect the healthcare system. Nurses are important professionals in the healthcare system. They are primary responsible for the care many patients and provide clinical services in the healthcare sector. due to this, nurses are exposed to various hazards including physical, chemical and biological hazards. Factors that facilitate prevention of health hazards and maintenance of occupational safety for nurses at work place include availability of resources for nurses to handle such situations, sufficient raining on occupational safety, application of the available resources along with knowledge from training with the support of the management and leadership in question (Ramsay et al., 2006). Due to the nature of their environment of work, duties and responsibilities, nurses are disposed at several workplace associated risks. Nurses who take care of patients who have chronical illness, patients in the intensive care unit, operating room, burn room or emergency room risk developing neurological disorders and stress. Nurses who take care of patients who have chronical illness, patients in the intensive care unit, operating room, burn room or emergency room risk developing neurological disorders and stress. At the initial stages of these diseases, nurses experience disorders such as disturbances in sleep, low appetite, unstable emotions and migraine headaches. Some environmental factors that make nurses stressed include demands of patients, overworking, death of patients, insufficient personnel leading to fixed shifts, and pressure from caregivers

As an occupation, nursing has its associated risks. These hazards may be categorized as biological or non-biological and include psychological and physical hazards during work hours. Including, physical hazards, exposure to infectious diseases, danger of allergic reactions from some medical substances, exposure to medical chemicals, susceptibility to skin disorders, psychological hazards and other hazards. The most common workplace hazard associated to nursing is injury caused by the needlestick and sharp equipment which happens commonly when nurses are administering drugs, giving drugs, and carrying out other nursing responsibilities that involve the sharp objects. These hazards are usually due to lack of awareness among healthcare workers on handling sharp objects. Nurses are commonly exposed to workplace injuries when they take part in activities such as cleaning, dressing wounds, taking care of patients and assisting doctors in operations.

Nurses face higher risks of getting infected in medical centers such as prison medical centers, clinics, health centers, outpatients surgery centers, dialysis centers, and nursing homes and in hospitals than doctors. Being the primary care givers, they are in longest contact with patients in patients’ wards, intensive care units, pediatric wards, emergency wards, and infectious diseases wards. Nurses are involved in caretaking responsibilities such as wound cleaning and dressing which expose them more to infections than doctors. For instance, Hepatitis B has been proved to be infecting nurses than doctors. As much as its’ virus exists in the blood, it can also be transmitted through patient’s feces, semen and saliva. Nurses get this virus when they get in contact with contaminated needle or when the wounds in their hand get in contact with the patients’ saliva or other mucous membranes when they are carrying out their duties. Nurses are also at risk of contacting other infectious diseases such as the diseases of the heart, measles, influenza, rubella and mumps. Observing principles of safety by properly disposing contaminated needles and regularly treating staff protects nurses from these health hazards. Nurses are required to follow a strict routine of hygiene by applying proper methods of disinfection and washing hands and medical equipment to reduce risk of being infected by infectious diseases. Washing hands regularly essentially reduces risks of infection and nurses are required to apply moisturizing creams to keep their hands moist. However, this exposes nurses to another risk of damages caused by exposure to disinfectants. Applying disinfectants such as nano silver which has strong properties of macrobacteria and does not damage the skin is of essence in keeping nurses healthy. Being the primary caretakers, nurses get exposed to infectious diseases than any other professional in healthcare. A good instance has been in Covid-19 where the number of nurses being infected has been higher (Lyu et al., 2021) than the doctors.

Exposure to chemicals such as drugs of chemotherapy and agents of sterilization are risky to healthy nurses. Nurses who work with Cytotoxic drugs are exposed to danger. Mildly, these substances cause irritation of the eyes and skin, and leads to allergic reactions. Acutely, they cause mutation in genes and cancer. Ethylene oxide, which is applied in sterilizing medical equipment, instruments and materials that are sensitive to heat in care wards for patients and theatres for surgery, have been proven to have teratogenic, carcinogenic, and mutagenic properties. Long exposure to anesthetic gases in surgical theaters and operating rooms exposes nurses to risks of halothane (disorders of the liver) and methoxyflurane (disorders of the kidney). This may lead to congenital disabilities and miscarriage in pregnant nurses (Karaytug et al., 2011). In kidney dialysis, nurses are exposed to formaldehyde which leads to allergic reactions and dermatitis, asthma, and irritation of the eye. Glutaraldehyde, a microbicide used for cold sterilization in intensive care unit, dialysis and endoscopy, also causes mucous membrane and skin irritation. Long exposure to this substance by nurses also leads to toxicity of the liver. Various medical instruments use mercury. If this mercury splits from damaged medical instruments, nurses, who most of the time handle these instruments, get poisoned. A small amount of mercury poisoning leads to damaged nervous and respiratory system. In extreme cases, this poisoning may lead to death (Alehashem & Baniasadi, 2018). Nurses who have allergic reaction to latex are at high risk because this material is present in the surgical gloves and other hospital equipment. Latex allergies may be mild and in extreme cases, may lead to anaphylaxis. Other possible toxic hazards may result into impairments of motor skill, perceptual and cognitive abilities due to exposure to aesthetic gases. Nurses who have been exposed to these gases for a long-time risk developing long term effects on the central nervous system. Ethylene oxide, a strong alkylating agent usually applied in sterilizing equipment that are sensitive to heat, directly binds with DNA and increases the rate of mutation in various species. Exposure to this chemical causes both acute and chronic effects on the central nervous system, the respiratory system, chemical burns and digestive tracts. Studies have indicated, though not proved, that this chemical causes exchange in sister-chromatid, leukemia, and spontaneous abortion. It produces an odorless gas which is rarely detected until critical levels have been reached. Another chemical threat to nurses in hospitals is due to antineoplastic drugs. These drugs contain chemical constitutes that inhibit tumor growths and kill cells that are actively growing. Thia drug is particularly dangerous to embryos and fatuous which are still in the active process of cell development. Antineoplastic agents have been said to be carcinogenic, teratogenic and mutagenic. Risks associated with toxic substances on nurses may be reduced by labelling toxic and hazardous substances accurately, storing which easily catch flame in containers that are closed, using equipment of safety such as safety clothing and respirators, use of latex free-gloves for nurses who are sensitive to latex, in cases where the eyes have been contaminated, applying correct methods of rinsing the eyes, having special sections, specifically for disposing contaminated and toxic containers and materials in clinics and hospitals, and providing sufficient information to nurses and other health occupants on the symptoms of being exposed to contaminators.

One of the most significant risks that nurses are exposed to is physical stress. They spend long times standing while at work. They are also exposed to danger when they lift to transport patients. Back injuries among nurses are commonly caused by lifting obese patients. Some of the duties of nurses include moving elderly patients to bed and from bed and carrying patients, heavy medicine and equipment. This exposes them to back pains than doctors who don’t engage in these extreme physical activities. Back pains and injuries of the spinal cord are more common in nurses than in doctors. Another common physical that has been proven is musculoskeletal disorder (Sin & Khemani, 2020) which nurses get exposed to due to lifting heavy patients manually when taking them to new positions. Physical injuries in nurses are as a result of overexertion. Injuries on muscles, sprains and strains on muscles cause physical injuries for nurses at work, impacting the care for patients. Nurses who are exposed to these hazards for a long time develop chronic conditions that affect how they perform their duties. Nurses are also constantly exposed to threats of falls, slips and strips. Another factor that suscepts nurses to physical harm is violence from patients and their loved ones. Sickness comes along with emotional and psychological frustrations which may make patients and their close family and friends violent. In this state, they may settle on physically harassing nurses who take care of these patients and in the event of the death of the patient, these family and friends tend to blame healthcare workers for not protecting their loved ones. To protect nurses from these physical hazards at work place, hospitals ought to have mechanical equipment to facilitate lifting patients. These equipment aids nurses to lift patients and medicine with little effort. Putting on requisite medical shoes for moving around the hospital and standing, and adhering to principles of ergonomic by executing duties in given positions such as putting hands over the shoulder or repeating duties also assists in reducing physical injuries in nurses.

Nurses who take care of patients who have chronical illness, patients in the intensive care unit, operating room, burn room or emergency room risk developing neurological disorders and stress. At the initial stages of these diseases, nurses experience disorders such as disturbances in sleep, low appetite, unstable emotions and migraine headaches. Some environmental factors that make nurses stressed include demands of patients, overworking, death of patients, insufficient personnel leading to fixed shifts, and pressure from caregivers. This pressure may lead to high alcohol and cigarette consumption and drug abuse in nurses at some point, affecting how they behave. Training and communicating to nurses adequately and efficiently facilitate reduction in the stress they experience at work daily. This may entail meeting regularly to share ideas and feelings, training nurses on how to manage stress, and taking part in exercises that makes them relax. Adopting a schedule that is regular to reduce stress in work and employing adequate human resource in the hospital also assist in reducing stress among nurses.

Nurses are exposed to various forms of violence at work place including handling patients with mental disorders to families that believe nurses are responsible of the conditions of their patients (Mobaraki et al., 2020). Patients may become violent due to disorders of the brain, reactions to drugs, imbalances in electrolyte and performing movement which harm people around them, commonly nurses. Nurse working in mental facilities are the most challenged as mental patients may go to an extent of abusing them physically. They are responsible of taking care of these patients and have to take up this risk to make the lives of these patients better. The most challenged are young nurses and assistant nurses who have inadequate training and experience in anger controlling. Exposure to extreme violence may expose them to terminal effects in nursing career.

Working in surgery or radiotherapy exposes nurse to rays associated with various problems. Incidences of skin cancer, miscarriage, myelogenous leukemia, and stillbirth are some of the conditions related to exposure to such rays.

Another factor that causes stress to nurses in the work environment is the rotational shiftwork. Nurses are rotated in shifts of varied lengths in healthcare facilities to be able to provide 24 hours healthcare. These shifts cause psychological problems to nurses due to the functioning of the brain where people tend to work with psychological rhythms which are easily disturbed. Impacts on the cycle of sleeping and being woke causes fatigue. His may be due to stress spread over a long period of time due to the shift in this cycle, and may lead to feeling of sleepiness during daytime. Sleeping during the day is not healthy as it is characterized by disturbances, making it short and uncomfortable. This psychological stress may also be due to limited time with family members due to tight work schedules and shifts, which deprive nurses from participating in family social activities.

Nurses are important professionals in the healthcare system. They are primary responsible for the care many patients and provide clinical services in the healthcare sector. due to this, nurses are exposed to various hazards including physical, chemical and biological hazards. Factors that facilitate prevention of health hazards and maintenance of occupational safety for nurses at work place include availability of resources for nurses to handle such situations, sufficient raining on occupational safety, application of the available resources along with knowledge from training with the support of the management and leadership in question (Ramsay et al., 2006). Due to the nature of their environment of work, duties and responsibilities, nurses are disposed at several workplace associated risks.

Nursing profession is associated with several risks, from risks resulting from interaction with chemical substances to exposure to various forms of violence. These are issues of great concern in nursing. By recognizing these factors and making attempts to solve them, an enabling environment for optimum nursing services shall be created since nurses will be safer to deliver to their level best. Nurses are commonly exposed to workplace injuries when they take part in activities such as cleaning, dressing wounds, taking care of patients and assisting doctors in operations. To protect nurses from physical hazards at work place, hospitals ought to have mechanical equipment to facilitate lifting patients. These equipment aids nurses to lift patients and medicine with little effort. Putting on requisite medical shoes for moving around the hospital and standing, and adhering to principles of ergonomic by executing duties in given positions such as putting hands over the shoulder or repeating duties also assists in reducing physical injuries in nurses. As much as nursing is a career of sacrifice, the work environment of nurses should be made enabling to motivate them appropriately in their duties. Risks associated with toxic substances on nurses may be reduced by labelling toxic and hazardous substances accurately, storing which easily catch flame in containers that are closed, using equipment of safety such as safety clothing and respirators, use of latex free-gloves for nurses who are sensitive to latex, in cases where the eyes have been contaminated, applying correct methods of rinsing the eyes, having special sections, specifically for disposing contaminated and toxic containers and materials in clinics and hospitals, and providing sufficient information to nurses and other health occupants on the symptoms of being exposed to contaminators. Being the fundamental care givers, nurses play a very vital role in the health care system. Observing principles of safety by properly disposing contaminated needles and regularly treating staff protects nurses from these health hazards. Nurses are required to follow a strict routine of hygiene by applying proper methods of disinfection and washing hands and medical equipment to reduce risk of being infected by infectious diseases. Washing hands regularly essentially reduces risks of infection and nurses are required to apply moisturizing creams to keep their hands moist. However, this exposes nurses to another risk of damages caused by exposure to disinfectants. Applying disinfectants such as nano silver which has strong properties of macrobacteria and does not damage the skin is of essence in keeping nurses healthy Training and communicating to nurses adequately and efficiently facilitate reduction in the stress they experience at work daily. This may entail meeting regularly to share ideas and feelings, training nurses on how to manage stress, and taking part in exercises that makes them relax. Adopting a schedule that is regular to reduce stress in work and employing adequate human resource in the hospital also assist in reducing stress among nurses. Motivating and appraising nurses would generally boost the services in the healthcare sector.

References:

Alehashem, M., & Baniasadi, S. (2018). Safe Handling of Anti-Neoplastic Drugs in the University Hospitals: A Descriptive Survey Study Among Oncology Nurses. International Journal Of Cancer Management, 11(2). https://doi.org/10.5812/ijcm.6482

Karaytug, S., Sevgiler, Y., & Karayakar, F. (2011). Comparison of the protective effects of antioxidant compounds in the liver and kidney of Cd- and Cr-exposed common carp. Environmental Toxicology, 29(2), 129-137. https://doi.org/10.1002/tox.20779

Lyu, X., Hu, J., Xu, X., Xianyu, Y., & Dong, W. (2021). Factors influencing risk perception and nosocomial infection prevention practices of frontline nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. BMC Nursing, 20(1). doi: 10.1186/s12912-021-00591-6

Mobaraki, A., Aladah, R., Alahmadi, R., Almuzini, T., & Sharif, L. (2020). Prevalence of Workplace Violence Against Nurses Working in Hospitals: A Literature Review. American Journal Of Nursing Science, 9(2), 84. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajns.20200902.19

Rohde, K., Dupler, A., Postma, J., & Sanders, A. (2013). Minimizing Nurses’ Risks for Needlestick Injuries in the Hospital Setting. Workplace Health & Safety, 61(5), 197-202. doi: 10.1177/216507991306100503

Sin, M., & Khemani, P. (2020). Pain and Musculoskeletal Disorders: Common Nuisances in Parkinson Disease. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 16(5), 332-334. doi: 10.1016/j.nurpra.2020.02.010

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