Safety in nurses’ work environment improving: survey

Silver Spring, MD – A survey of 4,614 registered nurses found their work environment has become safer in the past 10 years, with fewer assaults and work-related illnesses and more prevalent safety equipment, according to the American Nurses Association.

Results from the 2011 Health and Safety Survey, released Dec. 14, showed that despite improved work environments that included a higher prevalence of safe needle devices and patient lifting equipment, 8 out of 10 nurses reported experiencing “frequent” musculoskeletal pain and on-the-job injuries, a slight increase from a previous ANA survey conducted in 2001.

“Health care employers must ensure a safe and healthy work environment if they wish to recruit and retain nurses, who are key to the delivery of high-quality patient care,” ANA President Karen A. Daley said in a press release. “Everyone has a role to play in changing the culture to put safety first.”