Bloodborne Pathogens for Health Care Workers

Overview/Description
 This course focuses on a serious occupational hazard in the health care industry: bloodborne pathogens, including HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) estimates that nearly eight million workers in the health care industry and related fields are at risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens. Workers exposed to such pathogens risk serious illness or death. This course is designed for health care workers who are occupationally exposed to blood and other potentially infectious materials. It is essential for these workers to know the associated risks and safeguards when coming into contact with blood and other body fluids that may carry bloodborne pathogens. Topics in this course include the latest information on epidemiology, symptoms, and transmission of HIV and hepatitis B and C. It also covers easy-to-use strategies for preventing or limiting exposure to bloodborne pathogens. Although most exposure incidents in the health care industry involve needles or sharps, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that up to 86 percent of needlestick injuries could be prevented by using safety-engineered needles and other devices. This course will cover methods for reducing exposure to bloodborne pathogens, including safer needle devices, engineering controls, work practice controls, universal precautions, personal protection equipment (PPE), and vaccination. This course, Bloodborne Pathogens for Health Care Workers, addresses regulation Title 29 CFR 1910.1030. This SkillSoft Corporation training course has been reviewed by attorneys from the law firm of Sheehan Phinney Bass + Green, Professional Association, of Manchester, New Hampshire. The content of this training course is an accurate statement of federal law and attendant regulations as to the matters covered as of the date reviewed. Due to the rapidly changing nature of the law, information in this course may become outdated.

Target Audience
 Employees in the health care industry

Expected Duration
4.5 hours

Lesson Objectives:

Understanding Bloodborne Pathogens

  • identify reasons why knowing about bloodborne pathogens is important.
  • match the characteristics of three bloodborne diseases: hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV.
  • identify bloodborne diseases based on signs and symptoms in given scenarios.
  • identify elements of the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard
  • determine what exposure control measures are missing from a given situation.
  • match infectious and noninfectious materials with examples of each.
  • recognize exposure incidents by analyzing given situations.
  • identify hazardous and nonhazardous situations associated with needles and sharps.
  • recognize potentially hazardous situations involving needles and sharps in a given scenario.

    • Protection Strategies

  • identify reasons that knowing about protection strategies is important.
  • match engineering controls with their appropriate uses.
  • recommend engineering controls that reduce the risk of exposure to bloodborne pathogens in a given situation.
  • match proper work practice controls with a given situation.
  • determine whether work practice controls were used effectively in a given scenario.
  • match appropriate personal protective equipment with the task being performed.
  • determine the type of personal protective equipment to use in a given scenario.
  • select the reasons for getting the hepatitis B vaccination.
  • identify biohazardous and nonbiohazardous waste.
  • identify actions to take after exposure incidents.
  • determine whether proper actions were taken after exposure incidents in a given scenario

    • Course Number: SFTY0034