What you need to know about safety in healthcare

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is a federal organization under the United States Department of Health and Human Services. This organization acts as a leader in promoting national health and safety, while also partnering with state health departments and other organizations in advocating good health practices. The CDC is based in Atlanta.

The CDC sets health and safety recommendations and guidelines for professionals in healthcare careers and facilities. These recommendations and guidelines work to keep patients, workers and the overall community safe by preventing and controlling the spread of disease.

Some examples of the types of CDC guidelines are:

* Hand hygiene in the healthcare setting

* Protecting healthcare workers from blood-borne pathogens

* List of infectious diseases in healthcare settings (and how to prevent their spread)

* (Solutions for/protection against) hazardous drug exposures in healthcare

Within such recommendations and guidelines is information regarding wearing protective clothing, sterilizing and disinfecting medical equipment, handling patient towels and gowns, when to wash hands, etc.

In addition, the CDC also publishes information from the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety regarding healthcare worker hazards on the job, including needle injuries, latex allergies, violence and stress.

Medical assistants, hospital administrators, or anyone working in the healthcare industry is made aware of proper CDC guidelines for health safety. However, even those who are not in this industry can benefit from reading the information on the cdc.gov website for their personal good health.

Information in this article was provided by Brown College. Contact Brown College if you're interested in developing marketable knowledge and career-relevant skills with an industry-current degree program. (Brown College does not guarantee employment or salary.)

Courtesy of ARAcontent