Workplace Hazards: A Growing Issue For The Field Of Nursing

Workplace hazards is a growing issue for the field of nursing because nurses don't have strong OHS laws, stress makes them careless, and they are prone to blood borne pathogens.

One reason workplace hazards is a growing issue for the field of nursing is because nurses don’t have strong OHS laws. OHS laws are laws that protect nurses from hazards in their workplace. “All of these laws impose obligations on employers to ensure a healthy and safe workplace for their employees (and other workers such as contractors); allow workers to elect their own health and safety representatives (HSRs) with extensive powers to assist in representing their interests.” (McCarthy, 1) OHS laws are so loosely followed today that it makes nurses much more prone to hazards such as stress, manual handling, needle injuries, and bloodborne diseases. However, with strong OHS laws being put into place, these hazards would decline and there would be a more healthy workplace for nurses. These laws would also allow the nurse to choose their own HSR or a health

Stress causes nurses to overthink, overreact, and could lead to carelessness. “At least 40% of nurses taking part in a recent survey identified stress as a major workplace hazard.” (Australian Nursing Journal, 1) When a nurses stress levels rise, they tend to become full of anxiety. If they are having to deal with multiple patients at once or dealing with paperwork, they can get behind at work and become stressed out. When nurse becomes stressed they can tend to become careless. They may move more quickly than they are normally used to. This can cause hazardous accidents such as falling, being stabbed by needles, spilling hazardous waste materials and many others. But if strong OHS laws were put into place, then nurses could slow down their work activity and this would in the end lead to a hazard free work