january 2010 making a difference… · p. 3 the research projects or educational seminars attended....
TRANSCRIPT
Making A Difference… …THE newsletter for occupational health professionals who are making a difference in the workplace
lives of our nation’s healthcare employees.
Januar y 2010
B u s i n e s s N a m e
Message from Executive President
Special points of
interest: Pictures Requested from Chapter Committee Reports Member Spotlight Call for Speakers AOHP on Facebook
Wishing you a Happy New Year!
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and are
having a welcome start to the New Year. It is always
amazing when a New Year starts. The New Year can
represent many different things to each and every one of
us, one of which can be a time of transition. As we know,
life is a process of beginnings and endings. In both life and
nature, there are times when things move slowly and don't
seem to change very much. Daffodil shoots emerge from
the cold ground, and then before we know it, they bloom in
a dazzling array of perfumed beauty. Such transitions are
as natural as night and day. And so it is with our lives.
Transitions and change can bring both challenges and
opportunities. They can also be positive or negative,
planned or unexpected. Sometimes transitions are
welcomed because we find ourselves in a rut. Or we may
have the nagging feeling that something is wrong, although
we can't quite put our finger on the reasons, but we feel it is
time for a change. Transitions force us to let go of the
familiar and face the future with some feeling of
vulnerability. These times in our lives give us a chance to
learn more about our strengths, to explore what we really
want out of life and to grow from the experience. Successful
transitions take courage.
Transitions familiar to us from the standpoint of our
professions and AOHP are change in job, relocation of a
work site, change in co-workers, change in officers, the
advent of new/additional workload (i.e. the 2009 H1N1
Influenza), having a position vacant for a period of time,
and the list continues. Many of us have experienced all of
these and/or a combination over the course of our work
lives. I realize most, if not all of us, have experienced many
of these over the last year along with transitions that may
be going on in other areas of our lives as well. So I wanted
to share some tips I read recently that I hope will be useful
to you too.
AOHP Headquarters, 109 VIP Drive, Suite 220, Wexford, PA 15090 Tel: 800-362-4347 Fax: 724-935-1560 Email: [email protected] www.aohp.org
Table of Content
Message from Executive President…………………………………..1-2 Journal Notes…………………….…..……3 Pictures Requested from Chapter.3 Research Committee Report……………….……………………….…4 Member Spotlight………………………..4 Chapter Corner..……..……..........5-6 Finance Committee Report..……...7 Membership Renewal Reminder….8 AOHP On Facebook…………………....8 E-Tutor Program……………….…………8 2010 Conference…………………………9 Government Affairs Update …10-11
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Transitions usually exhibit the following stages, to be successful:
Experience a range of negative feelings (anger, anxiety, confusion, numbness, self-doubt)
Feel a loss of self-esteem
Begin to accept the change
Acknowledge that you need to let go of the past and accept the future
Begin to feel hopeful about the future
Feel increased self-esteem
Develop an optimistic view of the future
The following are some ideas that may help make the process more rewarding:
Accept that change is a normal part of life.
Identify your values and life goals. It generally includes a time of reflection.
Learn to identify and express your feelings. You will move through them more quickly if you
acknowledge them. A tool you can use for this is to write them down and talk about them
with trusted friends and family members. These feelings will have less power over you if
you face them and express them.
Focus on the” payoffs.” Think about what you have learned from other life transitions.
Recall the stages you went through, and identify what you gained and learned from each
experience.
Don't be in a rush. When your life is disrupted, it takes time to adjust to the new reality.
Expect to feel uncomfortable during a transition as you let go of old ways of doing things.
Try to avoid starting new activities too soon, before you have had a chance to reflect and
think about what is really best for you.
Expect to feel uncomfortable. A time of transition can be confusing and disorienting. It is
normal to feel insecure and anxious. These feelings are part of the process, and they will
pass.
Take good care of yourself. Find something fun to do for yourself each day that you find
comforting and pleasurable. Get plenty of rest, exercise, and eat well. If you can, try to get
some exercise every day, even if it is only a twenty-minute walk.
Build your support system. Finding the support of friends is also important, but avoid those
who are only there to give advice.
Acknowledge what you are leaving behind. Before you can welcome the new, you must
acknowledge and let go of the old.
Keep some things consistent. Keep as much of your daily routine consistent as you can.
Accept that you may never completely understand what has happened to you.
Take one step at a time. To regain a sense of power, find one small thing you can control
right now. Then break it down into small, specific, concrete steps. Write them down and
post them on your computer monitor or mirror. Cross off each step as you accomplish it.
Times of transition offer us the chance to explore what our ideal life would look like. The New Year
is a good time to reflect on the hopes and dreams you once had but perhaps forgot about. Take
time to write about them in a journal or talk about them with someone you trust. Now is also a
good time to take advantage of the fork in the road. I wish you all great success in any transitions
you may be experiencing at this time or in the near future. Happy New Year!
“Nothing is secure but life, transition, the energizing spirit.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Sandra Domeracki Prickitt, RN, FNP, COHN-S
Executive President
References (all accessed December 12, 2009)
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Garrett_Coan
http://ezinearticles.com/?Negotiating-Difficult-Life-Transitions&id=9419
http://lifeesteem.org/wellness/wellnessLF.html
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Winter 2010 Expect your Winter Journal in February and enjoy the news, educational information and much
more!! Look for the excellent articles Reducing Risk, Quelling Fear (Dealing With Swine
Flu)…..Retaining an Aging Nurse Workforce…and Safe Patient Handling and Movement in a
Pediatric Setting. Additionally, we are pleased to publish an interview with Ann Scott Blouin, Ph.D.,
RN, Executive Vice President, Division of Accreditation and Certification Operations, The Joint
Commission
Additionally, two authors have written directly for our Journal. A member shares her perspective on
the home health workers particular risk for patient handling injuries and frequent author Kathy
Espinoza enlightens us on the germs at our fingertips lurking in our contaminated keyboards……plus
all the usual excellent columns and reports.
The Journal is always seeking articles and information from members regarding success stories,
research projects or educational seminars attended. Please contact me at [email protected] for
additional information.
Kim Stanchfield, RN COHN-S
AOHP Executive Journal Editor
Journal Notes
AOHP Is Requesting Pictures of Your Chapter
Will your hospital or chapter be featured in the 2010 AOHP poster used to celebrate Occupational
Health Nurses Week and North American Occupational Safety & Health Week. What better way to
celebrate Occupational Health Professionals than to use “real occupational health professionals”
performing real occupational health tasks? In order to create this poster AOHP needs chapters to
submit any pictures of members demonstrating occupational in healthcare tasks or participating in
an AOHP event.
For each picture submitted, that chapter will be entered in a $100 drawing. The winning chapter will
be awarded $100 to use at their discretion towards meeting chapter needs. Possible ideas for use
of the $100 award include speaker fees or assistance to attend the national conference. The
marketing committee along with the AOHP Board of Directors will select the pictures that will be
featured in the Occupational Health poster to be distributed to all members.
Please submit your photos to [email protected] and be sure to include any caption that you feel
describes the picture along with the chapter represented. Photos should be in high resolution jpg or
tif files with a minimum 300 dpi. You can submit pictures now through February 15, 2010.
Delynn Lamott, RN, MS, COHN-S
Chair, Marketing Committee
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Don’t let this be your last issue of the AOHP e-newsletter!
Be sure to renew your AOHP membership so that you continue to receive all print and electronic communication from AOHP!
Research Committee Report As one of the newest AOHP committees, the Research Committee continues to gain
momentum. Committee members Susan Borrego, MaryAnn Gruden, Terry
Grimmond, Lynne Karnitz, Esther Murray, Jan Wesselmann, and Linda Good
(Chair) have been in contact at the annual conference in Portland and via e-mail to
discuss the important research component of our organization. Plans for the
upcoming year include:
Electronic submission & review process for the Julie Schmid Research
Scholarship
An increase in research-focus presentations at 2010 AOHP Conference
Development of a sharps injury benchmarking survey
Updated Occupational Health staffing survey
Continued association with NIOSH and other national organizations
Quarterly “Ready to Research” column in the AOHP Journal
The Research Committee welcomes new members!
Linda Good, RN, PhD, COHN-S
Chair, Research Committee
Join us in congratulating Kate Staller, RN, on attaining her COHN certification in 2009. Kate is the Employee Health Nurse at Evangelical Community Hospital in Lewisburg, PA and a member of the AOHP Central PA chapter. Kate finds value in the email group established within her AOHP chapter in
which members share solutions to resolve issues they face in the workplace.
If you have recently gained certification or some other achievement, please email [email protected] so that we can support your celebration and success.
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Chapter Corner
CA Southern Chapter
California Southern Chapter Meeting for 2010 are: March 12, 2010, June 11, 2010,
September 10, 2010 and December 10, 2010. The meetings are held at different hospitals in the
Southern California Region. If you would like more information on the topics of the meetings and
the locations, please e-mail Loretta Rihbany, RN at [email protected]
Reported by Chapter President Christine Shiosaki, RN, MN, BC, FNP
Illinois Chapter
Happy Holidays from the Illinois chapter. The next meeting of the AOHP Illinois Chapter will be
February 24, 2010 from 9:30 am to 12 noon at St. John's Medical Center in Springfield. Please
contact Nancy Hopkins at [email protected] or 217-544-6464 ext 44754 to reserve your
spot or to obtain directions. The topic will be NIOSH Lab and Field Research to Prevent Slip, Trip,
Fall Injuries to Healthcare Workers presented at the 2008 conference using the DVD obtained from
chapter stimulus offer from AOHP. CEUs will be provided. Please bring any guests who might be
interested in this topic.
Reported by Chapter President Denise Knoblauch RN BSN COHN-S/CM
Nassau Suffolk, New York Chapter
We continue to have a "lunch and learn" educational program at each meeting followed by our
business meeting. The Nassau Suffolk Chapter meets 5 times a year, usually the afternoon of the
second Wednesday of the month. We also network by phone, e-mail frequently and occasionally
have a dinner meeting. In May we had a speaker on pain management and ability to work. Our
September meeting was overwhelming occupied by H1N1 discussions especially due to the NYS
mandate.
Our November meeting was switched to an early December dinner meeting because of everyone’s
H1N1 vaccination efforts.
Our first meeting of 2010 took place on January 13th at noon at South Oaks.
We would love to include our "long distance" members! If any of our chapter members are
interested in teleconferencing into our meetings please let me know in advance. For more info,
send an e-mail to: [email protected].
Reported by Chapter President Wendy Bezko Colligan, RPA-C
North Carolina Chapter
The North Carolina Chapter of AOHP met in Morganton on November 7. The program for the day
included presentations on "Management of Back Pain," "Workplace Wellness," "Obesity and its
Impact on Workers’ Compensation," and "Stress Reduction & Humor in the Workplace." Our next
meeting is scheduled for Feb. 12 in Burgaw, NC. There will be a two day state meeting in April,
2010 at Kitty Hawk, NC. We have a task force exploring the possibility of video conferencing our
November 2010 meeting as a way to enhance attendance for our state meetings. Many members
of the North Carolina Chapter are excited about the upcoming national convention in Boston in
September of this year.
Reported by Chapter President Ellen M. Glover RN, COHN-S, MPH
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Pacific Northwest Chapter
This has been an amazing year for those of us involved in AOHP and as I am sure you all would
agree, a VERY busy quarter. So far, all of us have survived the fall onslaught of H1N1 vaccine and
illness and are somewhat prepared for the New Year.
Our chapter wanted to raise some extra money in this recession era, to enable us to support
members going to the national conference. No one had much time, so we had the idea to ask
members to donate money for their vendor provided lunch at one meeting.
At another meeting the board members supplied lunch. We had 2 wonderful lunches and the total
raised for the two events was over $200.
Our second fund raising idea was to make sweatshirts and t-shirts, with the AOHP logo, to sell at the
national conference. We pre-sold the shirts at our meetings and then members who went to
Portland helped staff the booth for selling. We cleared $420 profit from shirt sales after expenses,
so the combined efforts of the two fund raisers helped to enhance our educational funds.
Because of H1N1 our group did not meet in October this year but we were well represented at the
National Conference in Portland. We had several members attend, and 3 members who were on
the planning committee: myself, Sandi Buzar and Nancy Johnson. I also did a breakout session on
the Virginia Mason Mandatory Influenza Policy.
Congratulations to our member Nancy Johnson who achieved COHN-S certification recently. Way to
go Nancy!!
Here’s wishing all of you a wonderful 2010!!
Reported by Chapter President Bev Hagar BSN, COHN-S
Wisconsin Chapter
Our November 2009 meeting was held in Berlin, Wisconsin and was hosted by Mary Ann Nero. We
are very appreciative of our members who offer their facilities for our meetings, as we all know how
precious space is. Many of our members were not able to attend due to commitments, but we were
able to offer conference calling to 6 members with no cost to the host facility or to our Chapter. This
is something that we will investigate further. Many of the calling options are very expense and our
Chapter and individual members are not able to incur the cost.
We welcomed a new member Kathleen Southard to our group from University of Wisconsin Medical
Foundation We are very glad to have Kathy join us.
Julie Strege graciously agreed to accept the secretary position and we are very grateful for Julie’s
willingness to step up to this responsibility. She will do an excellent job.
We planned our meetings for the next year and will try to sponsor a conference related to
Occupational Illnesses with a focus on Contact Dermatitis. I am thankful for a group of members
who are willing to step up and assist in the coordination of this type of undertaking. We will offer
CEs and open the presentations to Occupational Nurses outside of health care. This is a good way
to make money, but it does take a significant amount of work.
We discussed the issues with administering the H1N1 vaccine and the shortage of seasonal
vaccine. We discussed what members were doing with regard to respirator fit testing.
Chapter 28 wishes each of you a very prosperous new year.
Our next meeting will be January 21, 2010 in Manitowoc, Wisconsin.
Reported by Chapter President Carla Cisler, RN, BSN, COHN-S/CM
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Finance Committee Report
Overseeing AOHP’s financial status can be challenging even in the best of economic times. The Finance Committee serves as a resource for the
continuing assessment of financial information; the Finance Committee facilitates utilizing this information for decision making to maximize AOHP financial resources.
The Finance Committee has continued to evolve from its inception in 2006. In
addition to the initial goal of maximizing AOHP financial resources, a further goal was to increase revenue for AOHP. These established programs and revenue are consistently used to give back to AOHP members. The AOHP
Executive Treasurer chairs the Finance Committee and all Chapter Treasurers are “automatically” a member of this committee. AOHP also welcomes any
active member who may have a specific interest in the financial assessment and planning for the organization, to be included as a member. The AOHP Executive Board Manual defines the duties of the Executive Treasurer as
outlined in a job description. The roles and responsibilities outlined could reflect a somewhat “intimidating position.” However, the entire responsibility
for the financial health of AOHP does not fall solely on the Executive Treasurer. This role encompasses obtaining and providing information to the AOHP board
that is accurate and timely so that decisions regarding program planning and financial reviews can be based on the most precise information. The KAMO management group has been instrumental in assuring current and prompt
access to all information that may be required for financial planning.
The intent of the Chapter Treasurer’s role on the Finance Committee was to serve as a conduit of information for the officers and membership of their specific chapters, providing a detailed review of the financial status of AOHP as
an organization. It also was to afford a description and analysis of the budget process. Participating on the committee could enhance the subsequent
development of leadership skills among the Chapter Treasurers with the potential result of exceptional candidates for the office of national treasurer.
As with any committee, learning how to facilitate the flow of information and determining what makes the committee work, takes time and effort. These
evolving processes can be strengthened with the clarification of the roles and responsibilities of the members, and a focus that is specifically related to AOHP’s strategic plan. Finance goals for the strategic plan include membership
issues (renewal and recruiting new members); increasing the name recognition of AOHP; maintaining financial stability through careful scrutiny of
the budget and financial reserves; and evaluating additional programs. Achieving these goals and exhibiting a high degree of transparency insures that AOHP will remain a strong and committed organization, and the Finance
Committee will extend this process.
Christine M. Pionk RN, MS AOHP Executive Treasurer Chair, Finance Committee
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Want to Make Your Job Easier??
The Getting Started on the Road (GSR) Workshop is an 8-hour
program that offers valuable resources to new and seasoned occupational health professionals.
Consider hosting or participating in a GSR Workshop in your area. Contact AOHP Headquarters ([email protected] or 800 362-4347) for
details.
AOHP Is Now on Facebook AOHP members can now be connected on Facebook. This is the other great way to communicate with the fellow professionals in the field. We invite you to join and share information/ideas at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=155463768102. Just click “Join this Group” under the AOHP logo. You are welcome to post any message and links related to our practice.
E-Tutor Program – DVDs Did you miss recent AOHP national conferences? Several educational sessions at the 2008 Conference have been made into DVDs and are available for purchase ($25 for one-hour and $35 for 1.5 hour.) Read more and order at the AOHP Web site (Education/E-Tutor.) DVDs of the 2009 conference will be added to the Library soon.
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AOHP 2010 National Conference
September 15-18, 2010 Boston, MA
Mark your calendar and get your budget in!
Plan to attend the 2010 AOHP conference that will take place September 15-18, 2010 at the Park Plaza Hotel in downtown Boston.
CALL FOR SPEAKERS Do you have a success story of how you conquered a challenge or
problem in your clinical practice? Do you know someone who would be a great presenter at the AOHP 2010 National Conference? The AOHP 2010 Conference Committee invites those interested in presenting at
the National Conference to submit a proposal. You can download the submission from our website
http://www.aohp.org/pages/education/abstract_submission.html. Submission Deadline extended: Jan 22, 2010
Exhibit Opportunity
We need your help to identify vendors for the conference. If you know any companies that the products and/or services will be benefit our
members, please invite them to our conference. The vendors can download exhibit prospectus from our website
http://www.aohp.org/pages/education/exhibitor_prospectus.html, or you can email the information to Annie Wiest at AOHP Headquarters
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Governmental Affairs Update January 2010
As I am preparing this update looking back over the previous three months, I know
many of you will agree with me, that we probably haven’t seen a busier period of time
in occupational health departments in healthcare facilities. Many of us went from
starting our seasonal influenza sessions much earlier than usual (mid-September)
anticipating that we would have to vaccinate against H1N1 as supplies became
available in October. Some of us actually had a “breather” between seasonal and H1N1
vaccine sessions. Most of us will continue to vaccinate through the winter and spring as
outbreaks of H1N1 ebb and flow.
The H1N1 pandemic greatly impacted the practice of occupational health in healthcare
facilities this past year. There were three major issues involving governmental
agencies’ approach to the pandemic of H1N1:
1. Availability of vaccine
2. Mandating of vaccines for healthcare workers (HCWs)
3. Protection of HCWs against H1N1
The availability of H1N1 vaccine was slow and sporadic, with many facilities not
receiving it until late November. In many areas of the nation, vaccine administration
had to be prioritized to high risk patient groups before offering it to healthcare
personnel.
During the summer, APIC (Association of Professionals in Infection Control and
Epidemiology) reinforced its 2008 position paper recommending that healthcare
facilities require annual seasonal flu vaccination for all employees with direct patient
contact. In August, the New York State Department of Health mandated seasonal and
H1N1 vaccination for healthcare personnel with direct patient contact only to suspend
the mandate due to court challenges and shortages of both vaccines in mid-October.
Experts disagreed on the issue of respiratory protection of HCWs caring for patients
with suspected or confirmed H1N1. The Institute of Medicine and CDC both
recommended use of N95 respirators. Many experts disagreed with this
recommendation citing that surgical masks were just as effective as respirators. The
national shortage of N95 respirators provided a confounding backdrop to this debate.
CDC then had to update its recommendation to prioritize respirator use to aerosol-
generating procedures.
Finally, OSHA issued a compliance directive in late November to guide field personnel
conducting inspections of healthcare facilities to minimize high-risk occupational
exposure to H1N1. OSHA said that its inspectors would ensure that employers have a
plan in place with a hierarchy of administrative and engineering controls, as well as
work practices to minimize exposure, including respiratory protection that is at least
protective as a fit-tested N95 respirator for those who are in close contact with
suspected or confirmed cases. Employers would be required to show that they have
made a good faith effort to acquire respirators even if there is a shortage.
As a combined House-Senate conference committee will begin debate on a unified
health care reform bill in January, we can expect that many of the bills introduced into
the first session (2009) of the 111th Congress (nurse safe staffing, protection of
whistleblowers, requirement of a safe patient handling and injury prevention standard,
and infectious disease protection) will be placed on a “back burner.” I will follow up
the progress of this legislation in the next quarterly update.
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Questions about the national agenda for occupational health and safety now focus on
the new head of OSHA. Dr. David Michaels was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on
December 3, and sworn in on December 9 as the new Assistant Secretary of Labor for
Occupational Health and Safety. Clues to the new assistant secretary’s vision for a safe
and healthy workplace can be found in the U.S. Department of Labor Semiannual
Regulatory Agenda that was published December 7, 2009.
(https://www.osha.gov/dsg/2009regulatory-priorities.html)
The full document (which also includes a review of the bloodborne pathogen standard)
can be found in the link below.
https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=FEDERAL_REGIS
TER&p_id=21284
Some of OSHA’s major projects for this year will be:
airborne infectious diseases – in March 2010, OSHA intends to publish a request
for information to help improve worker protection in this area.
injury and illness recording and reporting requirements for musculoskeletal
disorders (MSDs) – OSHA is proposing to revise its regulation by restoring a
column on the OSHA 300 Log to record MSDs.
Hazard Communication Standard – Global Harmonization System (GHS) of
Classification and Labeling of Chemicals – OSHA will seek comment on a
proposal that would revise the hazard communication standard to be consistent
with the international standards (GHS) in March 2010.
Walking/Working Surfaces – the proposed standard would update current rules
and establish required personal fall protection systems (March 2010).
On the state level, the issues of safe staffing and safe patient handling were addressed
in legislation during this quarter.
On September 16, 2009, New York Governor David Patterson signed a bill passed by the
legislature, The Nursing Care Quality Protection Act, which will take effect on March 16,
2010. The law requires each hospital to report the numbers of RNs and LPNs providing
direct care and ratio of patients to nurses; the number of unlicensed personnel
providing direct care; the incidence of adverse patient events such as medication errors
and injuries; and the method the hospital uses to determine and adjust staffing levels.
The State of Minnesota passed a law mandating each institution to develop written plans
to minimize manual handling and utilize lift equipment by July 1, 2010.
As we move into a new year, I invite you to consider involving yourself in AOHP as the
governmental affairs representative for your chapter if your chapter does not have one.
As a representative, you serve your chapter by informing the national governmental
affairs committee of legislation or policies that affect the practice of the occupational
health professional on the state level. You become increasingly more knowledgeable on
national government affairs by your participation on the committee through the monthly
governmental affairs newsletter and the annual conference meeting. As a member of
AOHP, it is important to keep informed of the issues related to our practice.
If you are interested in joining the committee or have some state news to share, please
email me – [email protected]
Alfred Carbuto, MS, RN-BC, FNP, COHN-S
Executive Vice President
Chair, Governmental Affairs Committee