Child care work. Organizational culture and health and safety.

A nonrandom sample of child care workers was surveyed to assess whether child care work represented an "at risk" health and safety culture and to measure the organizational dimensions contributing to the health and safety culture. The child care workers in Houston, Texas, were surveyed by mail, using an instrument developed by the research team. The sample population represented 34 child care centers (n = 240 respondents). The analysis yielded five factors related to determinants of health and safety culture. The participants had a favorable perception of the five health and safety determinants. The participants also reported high levels of injury and illness in their environments, suggesting a less than favorable situation. A culture, work, and health model was useful in examining the relationship between health and safety and organizational culture.     

Community health nursing in an urban day care center.

This paper has endeavored to depict some of the student achievements during community health nursing practice in a less traditional clinical setting, a day care center for infants and toddlers. There appear to have been a number of advantages to such a clinical placement. For one thing, students had the opportunity to devise a package of preventive/maintenance health services for a specific group of healthy children. This they were able to implement in collaboration with the day care center staff and the children's families. In the course of delivering the health services, they learned firsthand the strategies inherent in planning and negotiating among one another. In recognition of the integrity of child health as a component of family health care, they accounted regularly to the parents in both individualized and group fashion. Through the experiences over the course of the quarter, there seemed to be a heightened awareness of the potential for innovative nursing practice in urban communities.     

Child care in day nurseries: a space for nursing

In this article, we discuss the care of newborns and infants in day nurseries. We approach childcare within an historical perspective, emphasizing the current childhood situation. Based on the present conceptions of care and caring, and the Lei das Diretrizes e Bases da Educa?ao Nacional n. 9394/96 (Brazilian Guiding and Bases Law for the National Education no. 9394/96) we discuss the childcarers' qualification for attending children up to two years old in day nurseries. Considering the education level currently held by nursing professionals, we consider them qualified for the role of providing day care. In this sense, we identify the day nursery as an important social and political space for nursing.     

Elder care. The employee caregiver

With changes in the work force and aging of the population, employees of all ages will be affected by caregiving responsibilities for the elderly. As a counselor, the occupational health nurse is interested in the physical and emotional health of the employee caregiver. As a teacher, the occupational health nurse can assist the employee with emotional, social, and personal assessments and interventions related to older persons and their environment. The occupational health nurse can influence employers in meeting the needs of the employee caregiver.     

Telecommuting: Occupational health considerations for employee health and safety.

1. Information technology has moved "work" out of a centralized location. Employees who telecommute pose significant challenges and considerations for the practice of occupational health nursing. 2. Employer and employee benefits associated with telecommuting are reportedly associated with high levels of job satisfaction. However, the occupational health and safety risks of this new work environment need to be fully assessed and understood. 3. The ergonomic controls to minimize the risk of repetitive motion injuries are the same for both office and home locations. Additional attention need to be paid to implementing risk controls for other physical hazards and psychosocial considerations, as well as personal safety and security issues. 4. The scope of occupational health nursing practice needs to remain dynamic, recognizing the impact new technologies have on the workplace, to continue to meet the needs of the changing workplace.