One of the vital things that nurses need to develop as soon as they start their healthcare careers is how to be an advocate for safety, not just for their patients but for themselves. The high-stress and high-demand nature of the profession can lead to burnout, injuries, and illnesses among nurses.
In this article, we highlight four tips on how to stay safe as a nurse on hospital floors, enabling nurses to develop a proactive mindset regarding safety and minimize risks and exposures.
Tips on how to stay safe as a nurse on hospital floors
Aside from properly using helpful ergonomic tools and devices at work, such as bed lifts, gait belts, and sliders, nurses can also benefit from practicing the following safety tips at work:
Always follow standard precautions
Understanding and following standard precautions can drastically reduce the risk of acquiring and transmitting illnesses, especially to patients who are already immunocompromised or are recovering from other diseases. Multiple studies indicate that understanding and following standard precautions helps prevent the spread of infections in healthcare environments, protecting both staff and patients.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that nurses do the following standard precaution practices in the workplace:
- Ensure proper hand hygiene is performed.
- Use personal protective equipment (PPE).
- Follow respiratory hygiene principles.
- Ensure patient care equipment, instruments, tools, and devices are handled, cleaned, and disinfected properly.
- Ensure textiles and laundry are handled carefully.
- Adhere to established safe injection protocols.
Take breaks
Taking breaks during long shifts can successfully help prevent on-the-job injuries. Research shows that workers who had better quality sleep and had longer sleep times went longer without injuries than those who had poorer sleep quality and shorter sleep durations.
Nurses who work long hours without rest are also more prone to making inaccuracies and errors at work, as well as decision-making fatigue.
Even a five-minute break to drink water, chat with work friends, or stretch every two hours can help reduce fatigue, errors, injuries, and accidents. The CDC also recommends that nurses who work the night shift take 15- to 30-minute nap breaks to bolster alertness and reduce error rates.
Wear proper footwear
Hospitals and other healthcare facilities are complex environments that can, at times, be slippery with water, bodily fluids, and cleaning materials. To reduce the risk of slip and fall injuries, nurses should wear slip-resistant shoes. In one study that involved 4,500 UK-based healthcare workers wearing slip-resistant shoes, researchers found that slip rates were reduced by 37% and slip-related incidents were reduced by 49%.
Nurses who are always on their feet and lifting patients should invest in comfortable slip-resistant shoes. They should opt for shoes that provide the necessary arch support needed to maintain both mobility and comfort during long shifts.
De-escalate aggressive or challenging patient behavior by remaining calm
Unfortunately, healthcare settings are not immune to workplace violence, which can endanger nurses’ physical and mental well-being. When dealing with challenging or aggressive patients, nurses should:
- Keep calm and avoid arguing with the patient.
- Do not challenge the patient’s words or behaviors.
- Learn the warning signs of agitation.
- Refrain from turning their backs on aggressive patients.
- Refrain from raising their voices or engaging in rude behavior.
- Refrain from going to a patient’s room alone if they have a history of impulsivity or aggressiveness. Don’t be afraid to ask for help or assistance.
- Always advocate for staff and patient safety.
Nurses would do well to prioritize their own safety, as it’s just as important as caring for their patients. By being mindful of workplace practices and looking out for one another, nurses can help minimize errors and injuries, ultimately fostering a safer environment and contributing to better patient outcomes.
