Elizabeth Bien, PhD, RN, is a Targeted Research Training Program Trainee, College of Nursing, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio. Kermit Davis, PhD, is an Associate Professor, Department of Environmental and Public Health Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio. Gordon Gillespie, PhD, DNP, RN, is an Associate Dean for Research, College of Nursing, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Home Healthc Now. 2020 Sep/Oct;38(5):247-253. doi: 10.1097/NHH.0000000000000891.
Home healthcare workers (HHCWs) belong to one of the fastest growing industries and have an unpredictable work environment, potentiating their risk of exposures to occupational hazards. More patients seeking care for chronic health conditions, and improvements in technology and medical advancements are allowing more complex patient care to be provided at home. A comprehensive integrative review was completed, identifying nine articles that provide an overview of the occupational hazards HHCWs face. Analysis of the articles indicates occupational hazards are similar across studies. Occupational exposures reported by HHCWs align within all the studies and include exposures to blood, saliva, dangerous conditions walking to and within the home, secondhand smoke, aggressive pets, violence, and ergonomic concerns. These studies have been methodologically limited to self-reports, including surveys, interviews, and focus groups but include quantitative and qualitative data. Future research can further describe and identify specific occupational exposures and health hazards, subsequently leading to modifications to protect the health and safety of HHCWs, personal care workers, and the informal caregivers who provide care in the home.
家庭保健工作者（HHCWs）属于增长最快的行业之一，工作环境不可预测，使他们接触职业危害的风险增加。更多的慢性病患者寻求护理，技术和医疗进步的提高使得更多复杂的患者护理可以在家庭中进行。完成了一项全面的综合审查，确定了九篇文章，概述了 HHCWs 面临的职业危害。对这些文章的分析表明，职业危害在各研究中相似。HHCWs 报告的职业暴露与所有研究一致，包括接触血液、唾液、在家庭内外行走的危险情况、二手烟、好斗的宠物、暴力行为和人体工程学问题。这些研究在方法学上仅限于自我报告，包括调查、访谈和焦点小组，但包括定量和定性数据。未来的研究可以进一步描述和确定特定的职业暴露和健康危害，随后对保护 HHCWs、个人护理工作者以及在家庭中提供护理的非正式护理人员的健康和安全进行修改。
