Summary Abstracts
Spring 2019 Journal

Staying Current on Government Affairs
In his Journal column, Stephen Burt, MFA, BS, AOHP Government Affairs Committee Chair, provides analysis of recent government affairs activities. For this issue, he examines legislation that has been introduced in the House and Senate that address workplace violence prevention to protect healthcare and social services workers.

Editor’s Column
This standard feature provides commentary from the current Journal Editor, Kim Stanchfield, RN, COHN-S. In this issue, she provides highlights and lessons learned from the BLR Workplace Violence Prevention Symposium, which was held mid-March in San Antonio, TX.

Association Community Liaison Report
This regular Journal article details how AOHP is gaining visibility as an expert regarding occupational health issues. In this edition, author Bobbi Jo Hurst, BSN, RN, MBA, COHN-S, SGE, provides a review of the NIOSH edited volume Total Worker Health, which will be released July 9. She also highlights the work of the new Leading Health Metrics Task Force, as well as OSHA’s recent Alliance meeting and “Take 3 in 30” Challenge, in addition to online resources from NIOSH and the National Safety Council.

Perspectives in Healthcare Safety
Cory Worden, PhD ABD, MS, CSHM, CSP, CHSP, ARM, REM, CESCO, shares his insights on safety in healthcare in this standing column. This issue's feature – A Slippery Slope: Regulations, Behaviors, and Risk – which is co-authored by Janet Fleming, MPH, CIH, reviews the safety requirements, working conditions, and behaviors surrounding hazardous materials. The authors discuss the importance of hazard communication plans to address spill containment, respiratory protection, and eyewash stations.

Annual Treasurer's Report
Dana Jennings, RN, BSN, AOHP Executive Treasurer, shares the results of AOHP’s financial review completed for the year ending December 31, 2018, with an explanation of how AOHP strives to maintain financial stability. An overview of the organization’s financial position for 2018, including a summary of income and expense, is depicted using pie charts.

Measles Immunity in Adult Populations and Implications for Health Care Personnel
Measles incidence is now at its highest rate since elimination in the United States in 2000. Because of the impact of clustering of non-immune individuals, a higher percentage of the population - 95% or greater according to some studies - must be immune to measles to prevent disease transmission. Occupational health providers in U.S. healthcare settings must undertake intentional actions in the face of significant systemic challenges to mitigate the risks presented by lack of measles immunity in healthcare personnel. Authors include: Anna Taylor Torres, DNP, MSN, RN, FNPBC; Yasmin Ansari, MD; Colleen Rouse, BSN, MPH, RN; Chelsea Clark, BSN, RN; Jean Craemer, BSN, MPH, RN; Marlaina Frigo, BSN, MPH, RN; Nikki Lopez, BSN, RN; Ellen Manderfield, BS, RN.

Staffing Levels of Safety Professionals in Healthcare
Edward Hall Jr., MS, CSP, CSPHP, and Christy Foster, MPA, study data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics that document healthcare as one of the most dangerous industries in terms of overall injury risk. They also analyze employee safety resources at a representative sample of healthcare facilities, noting that healthcare facilities have significantly fewer resources dedicated to safety than other comparable high-risk industries. They stress the need for greater numbers of trained safety professionals and the importance of developing a culture of safety in healthcare organizations to protect healthcare personnel.

The Opioid Epidemic’s Prevention Problem
With more than 115 overdose deaths a day from prescription and illicit opioid misuse, public health leaders have called the opioid crisis one of the most urgent public health challenges of our time. Michael Fraser, PhD, MS, and Marcus Plescia, MD, MPH, examine current strategies to address this crisis and stress the need for more and better clinical options to treat addiction, support evidence-based recovery programs, and increase attention to opiod use disorder and addiction through community-driven public health approaches to address the root causes of addiction.

RN: Wear It with Pride
Understand the impact of nurse leaders through this article by Rhonda Anderson. She describes how nurses - the most trusted profession for the last 15 years, according to Gallup – are credible advocates for patients, healthcare leaders, and change agents. She also describes the attributes of RNs that cultivate successful healthcare leaders.