Chapter 20

Chapter 20 Part 1

Foundations 2

Patient's Environment

Part of the holistic plan of care

Includes: Temperature, ventilation, humidity, lighting, odor, noise, design, neatness and privacy

Common Bed Positions

Fowler

Semi-fowler

Trendelenburg

Reverse trendelenburg

Flat

Safety Issues in the Facility

Falls (most frequent cause of injury)

Burns

Cuts

Bruises

Alarms

Alarm fatigue occurs when nurses become desensitized to an alarm and then miss or delay a response to the alarm.

Using a Fire Extinguisher

Remember PASS:

Pull the pin

Aim at the base of the fire

Squeeze the trigger

Sweep side to side

RACE:

Rescue any patients

Activate the alarm

Contain the fire by closing all doors

Extinguish the flame or evacuate

Biohazards

Biologic agent, chemical or condition (such as unsecure laboratory procedures) that can be harmful to a person's health.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) classifies materials in the work environment according to the degree of hazard they represent.

Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) should be availalble for each biohazard substance stored or used on the unit.

Bioterrorism

Release of pathogenic microorganisms into a community to achieve political or military goals.

Examples: Anthrax, Botulism, Ebola virus, Lassa fever, Plague, Ricin, Smallpox, and Tularemia

Chemical Terrorism

Use of chemical compounds to cause destruction to achieve political and or military goals.

Examples: Cyanide agents, nerve agents, vesicants, and incapacitating agents

Radiation

Acute radiation sickness (ARS) develops when most or all of the body is exposed to high doses radiation.

Initial symptoms include: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea

Later symptoms: hair loss, skin damage, fever, fatigue, coma and death