NURSING
Nursing is a profession that deals with giving care for the sick to a point where they regain their health and attain optimal health status. It is among one of the most demanding professions which requires commitment and dedication to the task. There are many threats facing nurses and some of them include workplace violence, short staffing which leads to overworking nurses among many others (Gooch, 2015).
One of the issues faced by nurses is workplace hazards. There are many dangers in the workplace of nurses. Some of these include exposure to cold and flu germs and blood borne pathogens. The healthcare industry has among the most dangerous work environment which expose nurses to live threats on a daily basis.
Among the most serious threats in the healthcare department is radiation exposure. Radiation is odorless and invisible and one would not know whether they have been affected or not. Once one has been exposed, the effects may be visible many years to come. There are various uses for radioactive materials and ionizing radiation in the hospitals. The various ways people end up exposed to these radiations and poisonous products are when involved in electrosurgical procedures (using a laser), radiological exams such as x-rays and CT scans among others.
These radiations have many adverse effects to the human body. The cells of the body can become malignant, mutate or even die after being exposed to these rays. Dead cells can cause various complications to the body of the victim. The rays can affect a cell and result in cancerous growth of the affected cells (Kim, 2016). Other effects of radiation on the human body include nausea, dermatitis, diarrhea, and bone marrow suppression.
Nurses who will be working with radioactive material are usually given lessons on the precautionary measures they should take when dealing with these rays. The main problem is that the workers are given only rudimentary radiation training. It is however not possible to tell the amount of exposure. Once the effects are well pronounced it may well be impossible to be compensated by the hospital as there is no sure way of confirming that the exposure occurred in their premises. The nurses and doctors should thus analyze their exposure and if they are doing the best they can to minimize exposure.
In most hospitals, the responsibility of radiation safety is the responsibility of the radiation safety officer and technologists who are located in the department. They keep track of the amount of exposure of every employee and the supply of dosimetry badges that should be worn at all times. They are then turned in for exposure assembling by a different company. Lead aprons and shields should also be worn for the safety of the patients and the nurses involved in the procedures.
There are however various ways in which this radiation effect on nurses can be reduced. A start is to ensure all people who work with or around radiation should take a radiation safety course. It is also important to foster good communication among the team dealing with the radiation. This ensures that everyone understands safety requirements in their respective jobs. Dose reduction should also be reduced to avoid the amount of exposure during the procedures. This can be done by reducing the requirement on image quality thus lowering the need for high amounts of radiation. Shielding can also be implemented to reduce the exposure. Architectural shielding includes predetermined thickness of lead in the walls and door. There are other small factors to be considered. Such is the positioning of the tubes that produces the x-rays to pass through the patient.
Works Cited
Gooch Kelly. “5 of the biggest issues nurses face today”. Becker’s Hospital Review, 13 Aug. 2015, www.beckershospitalreview.com/human-capital-and-risk/5-of -the-biggest-issues-nurses-face-today.html
Kim,Yeonghee. “Are we being exposed to radiation in the hospital?” Environ Health Toxicol, 31, 14 March 2016, doi 10.5620/ehte2016005.
