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Biomedical subjects

Mary K Salazar

Publications and source records attributed to Mary K Salazar.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Hispanic adolescent farmworkers' perceptions associated with pesticide exposure.

The migrant farmworker population in the United States is a vulnerable and understudied population whose characteristics are constantly shifting. The number of youth involved in agriculture work is increasing, and they, in particular, may be at increased risk for occupational hazards, such as pesticide exposure. The present study utilized an ecological framework for focus group discussions with 33 adolescent migrant farmworkers in Oregon. Adolescents' risk perception and health beliefs associated with pesticide exposure are examined on four levels of environmental influence: microenvironment, organizational environment, social/community environment, and macroenvironment. Adolescents provided insight on such topics as perceived vulnerability of illness due to pesticide exposure, attitudes toward farmwork, influence of their boss, knowledge of occupational hazards, safety training, and barriers to occupational choice. Cultural influences on occupational safety and health are discussed and increased attention to safety training is recommended.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Defining the roles and functions of occupational health nurses in Japan: results of job analysis.

The purposes of this study were to obtain descriptive information about the job duties and tasks of Japanese occupational health nurses and to compare the roles and functions of occupational health nurses in the United States and Japan. A modified version of a job analysis survey developed by the American Board for Occupational Health Nurses was used to collect data. The findings indicated 62% of Japanese occupational health nurses perform direct care roles, approximately half perform educating or advising and consulting roles, and approximately 40% perform management roles. Details related to specific tasks and differences in nurses with varying preparation also are presented. Although there were many similarities in the types of tasks performed by nurses in Japan and the United States, the proportion of time devoted to specific tasks in the two countries varied. These results support the need for developing an educational system to enhance occupational health nursing practice in Japan. The information derived from the study provides a knowledge base that can be used to provide guidance and direction to the content of occupational health nursing programs.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Occupational health services at ten U.S. Department of Energy weapons sites.

BACKGROUND: Nuclear weapons sites are among thousands of federal facilities that are contaminated with a variety of hazardous wastes. Workers at these sites participate in a wide array of activities that can result in their exposure to a variety of hazards. METHODS: The purpose of this study was to describe the occupational health and safety services at ten U.S. Department of Energy sites. Interviews were conducted with 30 health and safety professionals, including physicians, program managers, and industrial hygienists. Data collection was guided by a quality assessment model that provided a means to examine the structures, processes, and outcomes of occupational health and safety services. RESULTS: It was determined that services for some worker groups, such as subcontractors, were limited; other problems identified included a mismatch between hazards (physical hazards) and types of service providers (radiation experts), ineffective databases, and communication problems. CONCLUSIONS: This description of health and safety services has provided valuable information that can be used to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery in this large and complex organization.

Communication↗
PubMed2003

Designing effective interventions for small businesses.

This study effectively demonstrated the usefulness of using multiple interventions to achieve worker health and safety. In particular, it illustrates the importance of including engineering and administrative controls in comprehensive programs. Similarly, its use of multiple evaluation techniques, such as self reports of workers, workplace observations, and measurements of toxins increases the reliability of the findings from program evaluations. Last, it demonstrated the importance of including workers at every level of the organization in the development and implementation of the interventions.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2002

Defining the roles and functions of occupational and environmental health nurses. Results of a national job analysis.

1. Effective occupational health nursing practice requires expertise in the occupational and environmental health sciences, knowledge of principles of business and management, and an understanding of regulatory processes. 2. Certification is an effective mechanism for occupational health nurses to demonstrate their mastery of knowledge. The validity of the certification examination is established through the completion of a job analysis, a systematic process that provides a means to describe the various elements of a job including the duties and tasks, responsibilities, worker characteristics, and working conditions. 3. The job analysis conducted for this study found that respondents who were Certified Occupational Health Nurses are more likely to practice in the clinician role and those who were Certified Occupational Health Nurse-Specialists were more likely to practice in the educator and management role. 4. Because of the dynamic and multidimensional nature of occupational health nursing practice, it is essential that job analyses be conducted on a regular basis to ensure the validity of the certification examination.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Planning for biological disasters. Occupational health nurses as "first responders".

1. As a result of recent terrorist events, there is an immediate need for occupational nurses to review their disaster plans and to develop strategies to cope with bioterrorism in their workplaces. 2. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified three major categories of biological weapons. Category A, which is the highest priority category (and the focus of this article), includes smallpox, anthrax, botulism, plague, tularemia, filoviruses, and adenoviruses. Dealing with bioterrorism requires occupational health nurses to be familiar with these organisms, including their pathophysiology and methods of prevention, detection, and treatment. 3. Five principles can be used to guide responses to a biological attack. Incorporation of these principles into disaster planning will increase the effectiveness of responses to bioterrorism, if and when it occurs. Developing a plan of action before an event occurs will greatly enhance the likelihood that the repercussions of such an event are minimized.

Anthrax↗
PubMed2002

Applying research to practice. Practical guidelines for occupational health nurses.

Much has been written about the research practice gap--and there is no doubt this gap exists in occupational health nursing. It is an irony that the professionals who would benefit most from occupational health and safety research may be the ones who do not participate in or contribute to research. Closing the gap requires a commitment on the part of both practitioners and researchers. It behooves occupational health nurses to constantly seek ways to make the connection--to forge relationships that can continue to advance the specialty. Researchers must increase their efforts to conduct research in "real world" conditions, because this research is most likely to improve practice. Practitioners must be willing to familiarize themselves with research so they can become active participants in the ongoing effort to find answers to troubling occupational health and safety problems. Rosenheck (2001) presents an interesting perspective on the barriers to eliminating the research practice gap. He purports that, although professionals often are highly respectful of scientific endeavors, in reality, "daily decision making is shaped more by power structures, ingrained routines, and established resource configuration than by current scientific findings." In most organizations, standard operating procedures and behavioral norms are the major influences on workplace practices; scientific evidence plays a minor role (Rosenheck, 2001). Several reasons can be found for this lack of reliance on research as a basis for practice. Studies may demonstrate effectiveness among large groups. However, practitioners may not see the relevance or applicability of such studies to individuals or small groups of clients. Also, practitioners may fear that the implementation of new strategies will require more oversight than they are able to provide. Another logistical barrier is the application of the research may require the collaboration of multiple individuals--dynamic environments with extensive turnover may result in constant personnel changes and diminished commitments on the part of the team. Applying research to practice requires thoughtful and careful strategizing. Success depends on the commitment of key people within the organization to see the activities through from planning to implementation to evaluation. The involvement and support of management is crucial to a successful outcome. In many cases, the benefits of the research many not be readily apparent. However, if management perceives the potential value and the eventual "pay offs," they are more likely to allocate funds and other resources needed to assure the research is supported to its completion. Finding the time and resources to read and apply research in the occupational setting is a formidable task. However, the importance of a scientific base to occupational nursing practice is becoming increasingly evident. Occupational health nurses must become effective observers who recognize the value of research findings contributing to more effective practice. They must develop strategies for sharing information and for learning from others' experiences, and through this process, demystify the research process and become better research consumers. If occupational health nurses are to maximize their abilities to achieve their most important health and safety goals and to provide cost effective, quality services, they must develop strategies to enable them to use findings from relevant, well designed, practice oriented research studies.

Diffusion of Innovation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Occupational risk among orchard workers: a descriptive study.

Orchard workers are exposed to an array of occupational health and safety hazards that result in injury, illness, and, in some cases, death. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify and explore factors that contribute to occupational risks related to orchard work. Twenty-five Hispanic orchard workers were interviewed. They reported that the most common type of accident was falls, usually from a ladder; and the most common injuries were strains and sprains. Three broad categories of factors that contributed to the occurrence of such injuries were Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviors; Work-Related Factors; and Factors External to Work.

Accident Prevention↗