If you have followed the previous four posts in our series on indirect costs of endoscopy staff injury, you know that musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) sustained on the job are costly. Case in point: the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) estimates that one of every three dollars spent on workers’ compensation claims originates with ergonomic problems, and costs related to MSDs amount to more than $54 billion per year. This article, which is the last in the series, looks at how MSDs affect an organization’s ability to comply with worker safety regulations and the financial consequences of violations.

Topics: safe patient handling, healthcare costs, patient safety, GI nursing, endoscopy nursing, nurse injury, hospital costs, SPHM, OSHA, OSHA violation

Welcome to the fourth installation of ColoWrap’s deep dive into the repercussions of endoscopy staff injury. So far, the posts in this series have examined the effects of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) on healthcare staff and the facilities that employ them. This installment explores the impacts of these injuries on patients.

Topics: safe patient handling, healthcare costs, patient safety, GI nursing, endoscopy nursing, nurse injury, hospital costs, SPHM

In 2018, the healthcare job market continued it historical growth, with 42.3% of hospitals predicting an increase in their labor force for 2019. Yet the hospital turnover rate stands at 19.1%. As for nurses, 49% of them have considered leaving the profession in the last two years, according to a 2018 study. So who will fill those vacant positions?

Topics: safe patient handling, healthcare costs, patient safety, GI nursing, endoscopy nursing, nurse injury, hospital costs, SPHM

Last week’s blog post covered presenteeism and how it affected endoscopy staff. This week we will explore absenteeism and its effects on healthcare organizations and employees.

Topics: safe patient handling, healthcare costs, patient safety, GI nursing, endoscopy nursing, nurse injury, hospital costs, SPHM

This blog series explores five indirect costs stemming from endoscopy staff injury and their real-life implications on GI units. Installment #1 covers presenteeism, which occurs when an employee is physically at work but because of pain, injury, illness, or other medical conditions, is not performing adequately.

Topics: endoscopy, safe patient handling, healthcare costs, patient safety, GI nursing, endoscopy nursing, abdominal pressure colonoscopy, GI injury, nurse injury, hospital costs, ColoWrap, SPHM

Colonoscopes are a valuable commodity. Just weeks after $450,000 of scopes were stolen from a Philadelphia hospital, thieves struck again. This time they took two scopes valued at $24,000 each from a nearby medical center. Who knew that these medical devices are a popular black-market item?

Topics: colonoscopy, endoscopy, looping in colonoscopy, difficult colonoscopy, endoscope, colonoscope

If you experience frequent pain as a result of performing a specific task, would you keep doing it? Maybe a professional athlete in the last mile of a marathon would—but what about healthcare workers for whom the race is far from over over? Injured runners, even amateurs, are advised to stop running and seek professional help to diagnose and address the pain, determine the cause, and fix the problem. 

Topics: nurse, nursing, safe patient handling, patient safety, nurse injury, SPHM

Are you attending the SGNA Annual Course in Portland? As of today, 1202 GI professionals are registered. Here are few hints and tips for getting the most out of this jam-packed, well planned event.

Topics: endoscopy, SGNA, SGNA 46th Annual Course, Portland

When asked to identify dangerous occupations, most people would not rank healthcare workers high on their lists. Yet the healthcare industry records 6.4 injuries per 100 workers compared with 3.3 per 100 workers for all other industries combined, including professions like firefighters and construction workers. In addition, as many as 50% of injuries may go unreported by healthcare workers.

Topics: colonoscopy, endoscopy, VA, Veteran, VA SPHM, safe patient handling, healthcare costs, patient safety, abdominal pressure colonoscopy, nurse injury

What Is Endoscopy?

For those not immersed in the world of gastroenterology (GI), endoscopy refers to nonsurgical procedures that allow a physician to examine the digestive tract. In these procedures, a flexible tube with a small light and camera attached (an endoscope) is inserted into the mouth or the rectum. Physicians can then inspect, take pictures, and perform therapies like removing polyps and taking biopsies. The two most common endoscopic procedures are 1) upper endoscopy, which looks at the first part of the small intestine and 2) colonoscopy, which examines the lower intestine (colon). 

Topics: colonoscopy, colon cancer, endoscopy, safe patient handling, GI nursing, looping in colonoscopy, endoscopist, difficult colonoscopy, colorectal cancer, GI injury, nurse injury, ColoWrap, SGNA