Influenza Vaccination for Pregnant Health Care Workers

Influenza Vaccination for Pregnant Health Care Workers Jee Hae Kim Introduction A certain pregnant nurse was fired because of refusing to get a flu shot in Pennsylvania in December, 2013 (Murphy, 2013). Getting a flu shot is the one of the biggest issues for health care professionals who are especially pregnant health care workers. However, vaccination still remains the most effective way for preventing severe influenza illness. According Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), seasonal flu vaccination is recommended for all pregnant women (Goldfarb, Panda, Wylie Riley, 2011). But, why do they hesitate to get a flu shot? Current vaccination rate Flu vaccination rate for pregnant women is still low in the US. In 2005, the US achieved just 16% influenza vaccination coverage of pregnant women, and it is estimated that less than 10% of pregnant women who are at highest risk of influenza receive the vaccine (Broughton, Beigi, Switzer, Raker Anderson, 2009). Even with increased morbidity during pregnancy from seasonal influenza, only 11% of pregnant women were vaccinated during the 2008 through 2009 flu season (Dlugacz, Fleischer, Carney, Copperman, Ahmed, Ross Silverman, 2012). In addition, influenza vaccination rates have remained substantially below 50% for Health Care Personnel (HCP). Within the population of HCP, nurses have been shown to have lower influenza vaccination rates than physicians (Clark, Cowan Wortley, 2009). Although the rate is getting increase little by little, it is still low compared to physicians’ vaccination rate. Barriers for vaccination According to a certain survey, 58.3% of patients reported feeling scared about seasonal flu infection during their pregnancy (Goldfarb, et al., 2011). What are the main causes they are afraid of getting a flu shot? One of those reasons is that they have a fear uncertainly because they do not know specifically how safe flu vaccine is while they are pregnant. In addition, they do not know as well about how dangerous unvaccinated status is during pregnancy. Vaccinated nurses demonstrated greater knowledge about influenza and risk factors for influenza, while unvaccinated nurses believed they were not at risk (Clark, et al., 2009). These facts show that knowledge about safety of vaccine is one of the most important keys to decide whether they get a flu shot or not. Vaccine declination was associated with less knowledge about influenza, lower perceived susceptibility, and beliefs that the vaccine is not efficacious of safe (Eppes, Cameron, Gracia Grobman, 2013). Furthermore, health care workers in the obstetric field also have limited knowledge about the epidemiology of influenza infection and most of them do not consider influenza as a potentially serious disease (Broughton, et al., 2009). Political, social and economic backgrounds The states role is to reduce morbidity and mortality by nosocomial inflammation of influenza and maintenance of a reasonable health care workforce and to show that mandatory influenza vaccination is sensibly related to reducing the flu budget (Ottenberg, Poland, Jacobson, Koenig Tilburt, 2011). It can be one of the political reasons for getting a flu shot for health care workers and government forces them to vaccinate. In addition, we can concern about economic aspect. The commerce legislation can make the federal government regulate activity essentially that affects inter-state commerce, including parts of the health care industry which is related to the management infectious disease and prevention. With the public health service act, health and human services department in the US has organized the national vaccine plan, the national vaccine advisory committee, and the national vaccine injury compensation program (Ottenberg, et al., 2011). Through these mechanisms, the commerce legislation permitted the federal government to control, strengthen, or potentially obligate the vaccination of health care workers against influenza and ensure fair movement to arbitrate complaints related to vaccination (Ottenberg, et al., 2011). It shows that mandatory vaccination can lead saving budget for government because they do not have to pay for the treatment of the secondary infection for people due to influenza . Ethical concerns There are also possible ethical arguments underlying mandatory vaccination. Hospitals are enforcing health care workers to vaccinate for two primary reasons. The one is for supporting of the professional duty of health care workers to benefit for patients individually and to ‘Do No Harm’ and another is for meeting the shared obligations of hospitals and health care workers to protect the public health with infectious disease which is preventable (Ottenberg, et al., 2011). In these situations, we can think about the important questions such as â€Å"What are the obligations of health care workers to their patients?† or â€Å"Is it proper for patients to expect health care workers to get a flu shot because of influenza?† Possible solutions I suggest some solutions to promote vaccination for pregnant health care workers. First of all, the convenience of influenza vaccination is strongly needed such as using mobile vaccination carts. Instead of fixed date or time for vaccination, health care workers can have it depending on their schedules. Secondly, provision of free vaccination and peer vaccination is another good method for promoting vaccination. For example, some pregnant nurses who are already vaccinated could be a good model for other pregnant nurses who are not vaccinated yet. Thirdly, incentive programs also can be a great way for health care workers. If they can get extra pay, the rate of vaccination can be raised. Lastly, education about safety of vaccination for pregnant health care workers is the most effective method. Indeed, I had concerned about wearing a mask while they are working without vaccination, but this could be not a perfect prevention of pandemic influenza. Instead of this, it would be better to persuade them who refuse vaccination and to emphasize again about the safety of vaccination during pregnancy. Safety of vaccination during pregnancy There are already several studies to prove safety of vaccination during pregnancy. According to CDC, studies of a lot of pregnant women in scientific view have checked the safety of vaccination during pregnancy. These studies did not show any evidence of danger to pregnant women, even to the unborn fetus and to newborns of vaccinated women (CDC, 2013). In addition, the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) and CDC’s periodic monitoring of side effects’ occurrence has not raised safety concerns (CDC, 2013). Rumors and fears should not be an obstacle to promoting patient safety and public health. The implementation of mandatory vaccination should solve the ambiguous concerns and misconceptions of vaccine safety as well. Rates of serious side effects’ occurrence following vaccination, such as Guillain-Barrà © syndrome, are vanishingly low as no higher than 1 in 1,000,000 (CDC, 2013). Conclusion Among several solutions as I mentioned above, I guess the best way to promote the flu-vaccination rate for pregnant health care providers is education. An effective educational strategy should focus on known misconceptions and knowledge gaps. Furthermore, the influence of health care workers on patient vaccination coverage should not be underestimated. It has been shown that health care workers’ recommendations have positive effects on the likelihood of patients to be vaccinated (Broughton, et al., 2009). According to an article, women whose maternity care provider has recommended the vaccine are much more likely to receive it than those whose providers did not (Broughton, et al., 2009). It shows that how critical education affect not only pregnant health care workers, but also pregnant patients. I insist that health care workers should be vaccinated because reducing the transmission of preventable diseases cannot prevent any harm in the clinical care area. Health care worker vaccination of influenza is consistent with a collective professional accountability to treat all patients moderately and to use appropriate precautions against preventable harms. With mandatory health care worker vaccination, health care organizations should make sure that vaccination is an informed procedure. Health care workers should also get the information clearly about benefits and risks related to influenza vaccination and that vaccines are offered handily. Reference Broughton, D. E., Beigi, R. H., Switzer, G. E., Raker, C. A., Anderson, B. L. (2009). Obstetric health care workers’ attitudes and beliefs regarding influenza vaccination in pregnancy. Obstetrics Gynecology, 114(5), 981-987. Center for Disease Control (2013, September 3). Seasonal Flu Vaccine Safety and Pregnant Women. Retrieved March 17, 2014 from: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/vaccine/qa_vacpregnant.htm Clark, S. J., Cowan, A. E., Wortley, P. M. (2009). Influenza vaccination attitudes and practices among US registered nurses. American Journal of Infection Control, 37(7), 551-556. Danzon, P. M., Pereira, N. S., Tejwani, S. S. (2005). Vaccine supply: a cross-national perspective. Health Affairs, 24(3), 706-717. Dlugacz, Y., Fleischer, A., Carney, M. T., Copperman, N., Ahmed, I., Ross, Z., Silverman, R. A. (2012). 2009 H1N1 vaccination by pregnant women during the 2009-10 H1N1 influenza pandemic. American journal of obstetrics and gynecology, 206(4), 339-e1. Eppes, C., Wu, A., You, W., Cameron, K. A., Garcia, P., Grobman, W. (2013). Barriers to influenza vaccination among pregnant women. Vaccine, 31(27), 2874-2878. Goldfarb, I., Panda, B., Wylie, B., Riley, L. (2011). Uptake of influenza vaccine in pregnant women during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic. American journal of obstetrics and gynecology, 204(6), S112-S115. Murphy Carrie (2013, Dec 23). Pregnant Nurse Wrongfully Fired For Refusing Flu Shot Because Of Miscarriage Concerns. Mommish.com. Retrieved March 21, 2014, from http://www.mommyish.com/2013/12/23/pregnant-nurse-wrongfully-fired-refusing-flu-shot. Ottenberg, A. L., Wu, J. T., Poland, G. A., Jacobson, R. M., Koenig, B. A., Tilburt, J. C. (2011). Vaccinating health care workers against influenza: the ethical and legal rationale for a mandate.American journal of public health,101(2), 212.

The Movement of Disease Essays -- Exploratory Essays Research Papers

The Movement of Disease The desire to travel and explore developed among many early civilizations. This mobility provided these cultures with many advantages that have helped to advance their societies. Unfortunately, these movements are also responsible for the transmission of numerous diseases and their resulting adverse effects upon the inhabitants of the Earth. This essay seeks to outline the causes of epidemic diseases, explain their diffusion around the world, and explore why they are more harmful in certain societies. During the First Great Transition, small mobile groups of hunter-gatherers began to adopt sedentary lifestyles. This was facilitated by the development of agriculture and the practice of animal domestication. Although the foundation of agriculture originated in the Mediterranean, it spread to Europe, the near East and eventually the rest of the populated world. With more efficient methods of food production, the population of these groups began to significantly increase. Domesticated animals were not only used as a supplementary food source (meat and milk), but also for providing animal power in labor-intensive activities (such as plowing). The transition to a sedentary lifestyle caused a major decline in health in these growing societies as virulent and lethal diseases began to appear. "The major killers of humanity throughout recent history-smallpox, flu, tuberculosis, malaria, plague, measles, and cholera-are diseases that evolved from diseases of animals, even though most of the microbes responsible for our own epidemic illnesses are paradoxically now almost confined to humans."1 As early farmers began to live closer to and spend more time with livestock and pets, the germs from these animals w... ...s. As trade became a compelling force for the cultural evolution of many societies, they helped to spread diseases over the entire world. Due to an auspicious piece of luck, Europe, with many more domesticated animals and therefore epidemic diseases, was able to develop immunities that the populous of the Americas lacked. Sources: 1. Diamond, Jered. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. New York: W.W. Norton. 1997. Pg. 196-197. 2. Chant, Colin. Pre-industrial Cities & Technology. London: Routledge. 1999. Pg. 51. 3. Diamond. Pg. 205. 4. Ehrlich, Paul R. Human Natures: Genes, Cultures, and the Human Prospect. Washington D.C.: Island Press. 2000. Pg. 268. 5. Ponting, Clive. A Green History of the World: The Environment and the Collapse of Great Civilizations. New York: St. Martin's Press. 1992. Pg. 224. 6. Ehrlich. Pg. 254 7. Diamond. Pg. 212.

Effective communication Essay

Demonstrating and modelling effective communication skills, whilst dealing with others, contributes to positive relationships. You should take into account the way in which you approach others and in turn how to respond to them. Positive relationships make it much easier to communicate information and are therefore very important. Parents, as well as other adults who come into school, are more likely to be engaged and likely to offer beneficial support if communication is strong, clear and effective; this in turn has a positive effect on pupils. You should always model effective communication skills as it is important for pupils. This means that you should monitor everything you say especially at times of stress or excitement in order to demonstrate to pupils the expectations of the school. It is important to personally maintain the standards of which you expect from students so that they understand boundaries of what is, and isn’t, acceptable. Effective communication is somet hing you have to work at as it does not happen by chance. It is important to think about the way you relate to others and the messages that this sends out. When communication breaks down misunderstandings can occur, this can lead to poor relationships and bad feelings. Read more: Identify the different reasons people communicate  essay TDA 3.1 L O 1.2 Explain the principles of relationship building with children, young people and adults The principles of relationship building with children and adults in any context are that if that if others are comfortable around us, they are much more likely to communicate effectively. People are more likely to avoid communicating with one another if they are suspicious or do not get along with one another. It is important therefore to work on and maintain positive relationships. Relationships are built upon every day in schools. This  happens in many ways, some of which we do without even realising it. Good relationships are formed when the following are taken into consideration: Effective communication – This is the main area in which relationships are developed through the use of different forms of communicating such as: Showing respect It is important to be courteous and respectful, and to listen to others points of view when developing positive relationships. In schools many people have different beliefs and come from different cultures and it is important to respect and acknowledge the views of others and you should learn people’s names and ask them how they would like to be addressed. Being Considerate In schools any child or adult may be under particular pressure and may act or behave out of character. It is important to take the time to think about positions of others and give them the consideration they deserve. Remembering Issues which are personal to them It always helps, when building relationships to inquire about and remember aspects about other people’s lives for example talking to children about their hobbies Taking time to listen to others You should always listen to others, especially if they are asking for help, advice or they need to confide in you. You should always show your interest in what others have to say and use appropriate responses. Being clear on key points Whilst conversing with others and giving them information, you should always make sure that they have understood what you have said. This is because children can easily be distracted away from the main point of the conversation; therefore you should ask them to repeat back to you what it is the child should do. Maintaining a sense of humour Although work in schools is important, you should always try to see the funny side of situations. Laughing is a great way of relieving stress as well as being a great ice breaker. TDA 3.1 L O 1.3 Explain how different social, professional and cultural contexts may affect relationships and the way people communicate Depending on the situation and who with, communication will be adapted to fit the setting. This will most likely be done without thinking, for example in a more formal setting, such as a meeting, you would tend to use a more formal level of language than you would whilst on playground duty with pupils. Schools timetable regular meetings to allow for open communication between colleagues. Schools also have planned communication with other adults and professionals, consisting of meetings and discussions as well as more informal forms of communication. Speech however is not the only form of communication, it is conveyed in the way we respond to others, such as how quick we reply to digital communication (email, text), how attentive we are when talking to someone as well as things like body language and the way we dress. Nov-verbal communication can cause issues however as it can easily be misread. Different cultures have their own ways of speech free communication which include eye cont act and gestures for example in some cultures it is impolite to look someone in the eye when talking to them. TDA 3.1 LO 2.1 Explain the skills needed to communicate with children and young people TDA 3.1 LO 2.3 Explain the main differences between communicating with adults and communicating with children and young people There are lots of similarities, in terms of communication, when dealing with  children, adults and young people such as maintaining eye contact and interest, responding to what they are saying and treating them with respect and courtesy. However, when communicating with children, you need to maintain the relationship, and where relevant their carer. It is also important to be very clear and unambiguous when communicating with children to ensure that they understand exactly what you are saying. It may be a good idea to question children about what you have just said in order to check their comprehension. It is important to communicate what you expect from them as this helps children learn to increase their own communicative skills. Therefore you should pitch your level of vocabulary and verbal expressions to the right level so that all can understand you. It is also detrimental to children’s progression to offer physical contact, such as hugs and holding hands, however if it is not initiated by you personally then it would be wrong to decline. TDA 3.1 LO 2.4 Explain how to adapt communication to meet different communication needs of adults It is important that you are attentive with adults and approach them with sensitivity, particularly if they have difficulties communicating. You will most likey adapt the way in which you communicate accordingly to the situation, without even realising it, Whilst communicating with someone who has a hearing impairment for example, you would ensure that you face them and speak slowly and clearly, whilst keeping eye contact, in order for them to lip-read. Schools often need to communicate with parents/carers/guardians and do this via text, email or letter. This format is effective as it is instant and is easily accessible fpr most people. In my practical setting they do offer their newsletters and such in other languages so parents and such may still get relevant information in a format that they can then read and understand. They would also bring in a translator for one to one meetings with parents when required so face to face interaction can still take place and both  parties can communicate effectively. TDA 3.2 L O 2.5 Explain how to manage disagreements with children, young people and adults Disagreements in work are commonplace, and most of the time they are due to miscommunication or lack there of. These can cause bad feelings on both sides if not dealt with appropriately. Adults can misread or perceive information in a way which was not meant. Disagreements can occur when we blame others for saying things that may be ambiguous or for having varying opinions on matters. Where conflict takes place, it is important to show sensitivity and must try to resolve the problem with haste. This is because the longer a problem persists, the more difficult it is to resolve. It is important not to be drawn into conflict with a child or young person, and situations such as this need to be dealt with carefully, it may be good practice to alert another member of staff in order to seek advice to remedy the problem. Poor communication Conflict can often occur in line with miscommunication, This may be because: ââ€"  letters have not been passed on by parents or children ââ€"  there is a lack of time ââ€"  there has been a misunderstanding. In order to resolve issues of poor communication, you should discuss the problem in order to find the cause and then find a resolution together. Never just ignore the problem or talk about the problem to everyone but who the problem concerns. Opposing expectations Adults may often not have the same ideas about the purpose of an activity or meeting, or have a diï ¬â‚¬erent idea in mind. Aims should always be made clear about what you are there to do and why. Different values and ideas Parents and schools often have different attitudes and expectations. Conflict can often occur when a child is told to do two contrasting things. This can be resolved by working alongside parents. External factors Whilst working in a school it is important to keep in mind that people may have issues at home or other such pressures, which may affect the way they communicate. Once you have made a good personal relationship with someone, it is likely you will notice changes in their behaviour and you are able to ask if there is a problem and if you can assist them with anything. Lack of confidence Adults often act with aggression when they are unsure in what they are doing or lacking in confidence. This may come across as a personal attack however it is due to their perception of themselves and their own abilities. It would be wise to be sensitive and offer encouragement and support. Research 3.1 Adults who work with children in any setting need to have some idea about current legislation, as this will aï ¬â‚¬ect their practice. There is an increased awareness of how important it is to recognise the uniqueness of each child and have respect for their human rights. Legislation is an area which is constantly under review and you will need to keep up to date through reading relevant publications. Every Child Matters (England 2005) based on the Children Act 2004 This Green Paper stresses the importance of more integrated services and sharing of information between professionals. It came into being aer the tragic case of Victoria Climbià ©, when there was no communication between health and social workers. Data Protection Act 1998 In schools we ask parents and carers for a variety of information so that we are able to care for children as eï ¬â‚¬ectively as we can while they are with us. However, we can only ask for information which is directly relevant – for example: ââ€"  health or medical information ââ€"  records from previous schools ââ€"  records for children who have special educational needs. This is conï ¬ dential information and must be used only for the purpose for which it  was gathered. If the information needs to be passed on to others for any reason, parental consent will need to be given. This usually involves parents signing a consent form. Key term Conï ¬ dential information – information that should only be shared with people with a right to have it, for example, your teacher, your line manager or an external agency Under the Data Protection Act 1998, any organisation which holds information on individuals needs to be registered with the Data Protection Commission. This is designed to ensure that conï ¬ dential information cannot be passed on to others without the individual’s consent. There are eight principles of practice which govern the use of personal information. Information must be: ââ€"  processed fairly and lawfully ââ€"  used only for the purpose for which it was gathered research 3.2 When you are party to gathering information, whatever this is, you may sometimes be in a position where you need to reassure others about the fact that it is conï ¬ dential. If you attend meetings or need to be told about conï ¬ dential items, you should make sure that you let others know your obligations. In most cases, parental consent would need to be given before any information about children can be shared with other professionals. However, if there are any issues to indicate that the child is at risk from harm or abuse, or if there is a legal obligation placed on the school to disclose information, this can be done (see the following case study). There may also be cases where information on pupils needs to be accessible to all staï ¬â‚¬, for example, where pupils have speciï ¬ c medial conditions such as asthma or epilepsy. In this case there should be an agreed system within the school for making sure that all staï ¬â‚¬ are aware of these pupils. There may also be case s where information on pupils needs to be accessible to staï ¬â‚¬ who need to know – for example, where pupils have speciï ¬ c medial conditions such as asthma or epilepsy. In this case there should be an agreed system within the school for making sure that staï ¬â‚¬ who are in contact with the pupils are aware of their condition.

A History of Minimal Yet Traditional House Style