A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine 
National Institutes of Health
Occupational Health for Healthcare Providers
Healthcare workers are exposed to many job hazards. These can include
- Infections
- Needle injuries
- Back injuries
- Allergy-causing substances
- Violence
- Stress
Follow good job safety and injury prevention practices. They can reduce your risk of health problems. Use protective equipment, follow infection control guidelines, learn the right way to lift heavy objects, and find ways to manage stress.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
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Start Here
- Health Care Wide Hazards(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
The top row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Basics
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Learn More
, and
Multimedia & Cool Tools
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For group Basics
For group Learn More
For group Multimedia & Cool Tools
The bottom row in the table of contents box contains the following groups:
Research
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Reference Shelf
, and
For You
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For group Research
For group Reference Shelf
For group For You
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Overviews
- Health Care Workers(National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)
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Latest News
- Juggling a Hospital Job and Family Can Be Painful(10/04/2012, HealthDay)
- Hospital Shootings Uncommon, Unpredictable(09/21/2012, Reuters Health)
- Burnt-Out Nurses Linked to More Hospital Infections(07/31/2012, HealthDay)
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Prevention/Screening
- (Lack of) Universal Precautions(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
- About Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)(Food and Drug Administration)
- Back Facts: A Training Workbook to Prevent Back Injuries in Nursing Homes(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
- Ergonomics(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
- Eye Protection for Infection Control(National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)
- First Responders: Informational Poster on Bloodborne Pathogen Exposures(National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) - PDF
- Immunization of Healthcare Workers(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Lack of Personal Protective Equipment(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
- Needlesticks/Sharps Injuries(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
- Optical Radiation: Laser Protection(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
- Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response Guidance for Healthcare Workers and Healthcare Employers(Occupational Safety and Health Administration) - PDF
- Personal Protective Equipment for Health Care Workers Who Work with Hazardous Drugs(National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)
- Protect Yourself from Avian Flu: Healthcare Workers(Occupational Safety and Health Administration) - PDF
- Recommendations for Protecting Laboratory, Field, and Clinical Workers from West Nile Virus Exposure(National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)
- SARS Infection Control(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Slips/Trips/Falls(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
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Coping
- Shift Work: Improving Daytime Sleep(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Stress(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
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Specific Conditions
- Ethylene Oxide(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
- Exposure to Stress: Occupational Hazards in Hospitals(National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) - PDF
- Formaldehyde(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
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Haz-Map: Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Agents(National Library of Medicine)
- Hazardous Drugs(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
- Healthcare Wide Hazards: Bloodborne Pathogens(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
- Healthcare-Wide Hazards: Mercury(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
- Ionizing Radiation(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
- Laser/Electrosurgery Plume(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
- Latex Allergy(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
- MDRO - Multidrug-Resistant Organisms(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
- Occupational Exposure to HIV: Advice for Health Care Workers(American Academy of Family Physicians)
- Also available in Spanish
- Protect Yourself from MRSA(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Type of Healthcare-associated Infections(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Waste Anesthetic Gases(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
- Workplace Violence(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
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Related Issues
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Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Fact Sheet for Healthcare Workers and Morticians(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
- Dentistry(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
- Encourage Your Workers to Report Bloodborne Pathogen Exposures(National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)
- Healthcare Facilities(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
- Healthcare-Wide Hazards: Surgical Suite(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
- Hurricane-Related Information for Health Care Professionals(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Intensive Care Unit(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
- Nursing Homes and Personal Care Facilities(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
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Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Fact Sheet for Healthcare Workers and Morticians
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Pictures & Photographs
- Anatomy of a Nursing Home with Potential Hazards(Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
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Videos
- Shift Work and Ways to Improve Sleep(Harvard Medical School)
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Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Occupational Exposure(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Infection Control(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Nosocomial (Hospital-Acquired) Infections(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Occupational Exposure
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
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Organizations
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Also available in Spanish
- Dept. of Labor
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
- Also available in Spanish
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration
- Also available in Spanish
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Patient Handouts
- Personal protective equipment
- Also available in Spanish
- Protect Yourself from Avian Flu: Healthcare Workers(Occupational Safety and Health Administration) - PDF
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You may also be interested in these related encyclopedia pages:
Occupational Health for Healthcare Providers - Multiple Languages
