Professional Issue and Policies in Nursing

Running head: PROFESSIONAL ISSUE AND POLICIES IN NURSING
PROFESSIONAL ISSUE AND POLICIES IN NURSING
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author’s name

PROFESSIONAL ISSUE AND POLICIES IN NURSING
1
Introduction
The healthcare workers are at a high risk of occupational exposure to pathogens from the
contaminated body samples including blood and other body fluids and other medical supplies
like contaminated needles that are detrimental to health. While working in healthcare settings,
the health care workers comes across situation where there are chances of direct contact with the
body fluids and contaminated medical substances that can cause infections. Therefore there is a
need to monitor the hazards involved while dealing with the medical samples specially blood and
body fluids and provide proper guidance to control and prevent the risks of occupational
exposure to contaminated samples and other objects. “Work Health and Safety - Blood and Body
Substances Occupational Exposure Prevention provides guidance in the prevention of risk to
staff of occupational exposure to contaminated blood, body substances and needle stick or sharps
injuries” (NSW Health, 2018). It aims at minimizing the risks involved while handling these
contaminated samples and should be treated as potentially infectious. In order to prevent the
spreading of infections from the contaminated materials certain precautions standards must be
applied to manage the exposure to blood and other contaminated medical samples and supplies
(Collins, 2008). This guideline is applied to the Affiliated Health Organizations, community
health centres, cancer institutes, NSW Health pathology, Public Hospitals, Public Health Units,
NSW Ambulance Service, Dental Schools and Clinics, Public Health System Support Division
and Specialty Network Governed Statutory Health Corporations and to all the NSW Health
Agencies wherever there is a chance of such exposure (Sahealth.sa.gov.au, 2019). The guideline
supports NSW Heath Agencies in meeting their prime responsibility of care obligations under
the work Health and Safety Act 2011 and Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017. The paper

PROFESSIONAL ISSUE AND POLICIES IN NURSING
2
discusses the principles and guidelines of the policy and how it impacts nursing practice and
healthcare system in Australia.
Discussion
Work Health and Safety - Blood and Body Substances Occupational Exposure
Prevention:
The main objective of the guideline is to provide the NSW Health Agencies with all the
requirements needed to meet their primary responsibility in the duty of care under the Work
Health and Safety Act 2011 (WHS Act) and Work Health and Safety Regulation 2017 (WHS
Regulation) to prevent and control the risks involved in the occupational exposure to
contaminated body fluids including blood, or any body substances and needle or any sharp
injuries (NSW Health, 2018). NSW agencies are primarily associated with providing care to the
health workers and ensure their safety. These health agencies should agree and work in
compliance with this guideline proposed by the health policy.
Occupational exposure to contaminated blood, body samples and needle sticks or any
sharp objects injury can result into the development of blood borne viruses (BBVs) like hepatitis
B (HBV), hepatitis C (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (NSW Health, 2018).
The exposure to such contaminants can cause potential health hazard and can also be fatal if
proper treatment is not given. Infection can be caused by exposure to contaminated body
substances through injuries by sharp objects like a needle or a scalpel and through direct contact
of mucous membranes or non-intact skin with blood, tissue or other bodily substances that are
potentially infectious (Sahealth.sa.gov.au, 2019). There should be a proper management of the
medical waste disposal. Infection Prevention and Control Policy outlines the principles of