OSHA & SAFETY
This federal agency sets rules to keep employees safe from workplace
This federal agency sets rules to keep employees safe from workplace hazards.What is OSHA?
Safety must be assessed at every visit in these three areas
What are patient, staff, and environmental safety?
Used needles, lancets, and scalpels all belong in this container.
What is a sharps container?
This is the very first step of proper bag technique before opening your bag.
What is performing hand hygiene?
Medication reconciliation is required at SOC and these three other timepoints.
What are ROC (Resumption of care) and Recertification, and any PRN changes?
These three items are required for PPE if there is a splash risk during patient care.
What are mask, eye protection, and gloves?
This is what you do if a patient's home feels unsafe before you enter.
What is notify the office immediately and do not enter?
This is the rule for sharps containers regarding how full they can get.
What is do not fill past the fill line?
Your nursing bag must always be placed on this before opening it in a patient's home.
What is a clean barrier?
When reconciling medications, you compare the referral list, the patient's verbal report, and these.
What are the actual medication bottles?
The FIRST thing you do after a needlestick injury
What is wash/flush the area immediately with soap and water?
Fall prevention, medication safety, and infection prevention are all examples of this type of safety.
What is patient safety?
Name two types of hazardous waste a home health nurse might generate during a visit.
What are sharps and blood-contaminated materials (or IV tubing, soiled PPE)?
This is the "golden rule" of bag technique regarding clean and dirty items.
What is never mix clean and dirty items?
You find that a patient has a duplicate blood pressure medication with same class and same purpose. What is your first action?
What is notify the physician?
True or False: You may recap a needle if you are careful
What is False. You must discard into appropriate sharps container to avoid accidental self-injury?
This combination in the home creates a serious fire risk.
What is oxygen and smoking?
This is where hazardous waste should NOT be disposed of in a patient's home.
What is the regular household trash?
Name three common bag technique errors cited during surveys.
What are bag on the floor, no barrier, mixing clean/dirty, no equipment cleaning, poor hand hygiene?
This type of documentation deficiency is the most common finding related to medication reconciliation on surveys.
What is no documentation of reconciliation being performed (or incomplete med list)?
This type of pathogen can be transmitted through needlesticks and includes HIV, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C.
What are bloodborne pathogens?
Name two examples of environmental hazards a clinician should document during a home visit.
What are clutter/fall hazards, fire risks, sanitation issues (any two)?
What must you document after providing hazardous waste education to a patient?
What is the education provided, patient response, and level of understanding?
Bag technique is required at ALL visits and supports this core infection control principle.
What is preventing cross-contamination between patients?
Accurate medication reconciliation helps prevent this outcome, which is also a key quality metric in home health.
What is avoidable hospitalization (rehospitalization)?