Authors
Burgel-BJ; Novak-D; Burns-CM; Byrd-A; Carpenter-H; Gruden-M; Lachat-A; Taormina-D
Source
Workplace Health Saf 2013 Mar; 61(3):103-115
Abstract
In response to the Institute of Medicine (2011) report Occupational Health Nurses and Respiratory Protection: Improving Education and Training, a nationwide survey was conducted in May 2012 to assess occupational health nurses' educational preparation, roles, responsibilities, and training needs in respiratory protection. More than 2,000 occupational health nurses responded; 83% perceived themselves as competent, proficient, or expert in respiratory protection, reporting moderate comfort with 12 respiratory program elements. If occupational health nurses had primary responsibility for the respiratory protection program, they were more likely to perceive higher competence and more comfort in respiratory protection, after controlling for occupational health nursing experience, highest education, occupational health nursing certification, industry sector, Association of Occupational Health Professionals in Healthcare membership, taking a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health spirometry course in the prior 5 years, and perceiving a positive safety culture at work. These survey results document high perceived competence and comfort in respiratory protection. These findings support the development of targeted educational programs and interprofessional competencies for respiratory protection.
Keywords
Nursing; Nurses; Respiratory-protection; Respiration; Respirators; Respiratory-protective-equipment; Personal-protection; Personal-protective-equipment; Training; Medical-personnel; Health-care-personnel
Contact
Barbara J. Burgel, RN, COHN-S, PhD, FAAN, Clinical Professor, Department of Community Health Systems, School of Nursing, 2 Koret Way, Box 0608, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143-0608
Document Type
Journal Article
Email Address
barbara.burgel@nursing.ucsf.edu
Source Name
Workplace Health & Safety
State
PA; FL; NC; MD; PA; CA