Topic > Challenges in Nursing Essay - 1227

Today nurses and their working conditions are commonly associated with “medication errors and falls, increased deaths and spread of infections” (Cimiotti et al, 2004, pg.1985). Together, these three are generally exposed to any nurse, but especially to the spread of infection. Nurses are regularly exposed to bodily fluids, infected wounds, and numerous pathogens and are therefore susceptible to infectious diseases and fatalities. Approximately 600,000-800,000 needlestick injuries and incidents of inadvertent contact between contaminated blood and bare skin occur each year in the United States and (Cimiotti et al, 2004, pg.1986). This reinforces the fact that nurses face risks of exposure to infections and accidents at work to a greater extent than other healthcare services