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How To Talk To Your Eye Doctor: Maintaining Eye Health

Nurses are our lifeline. If recent events haven’t proven that then nothing will. Safety precautions are a necessity in a nursing occupation, now more than ever before.

Yet sadly, most nurses are not getting the safety protection they need – and we aren’t talking about face masks.

Many nurses and medical practitioners are at risk of exposure to blood and bodily fluids (BBFE).

If you are one of these professionals, you need to talk to your eye doctor about maintaining your eye health by getting a medical safety glasses prescription to wear while on the job.

How To Talk To Your Eye Doctor: Maintaining Eye Health

Risk

According to the International Safety Center’s Exposure Prevention Information Network, most splashes of BBFE occur on the nurse’s face, with over 65% getting directly into their eyes.

Even with this surprising statistic, only 8.1% of nurses wear eye protection when helping patients.

This same institute reports that splashes to the eyes can result in the transmission of bloodborne pathogens and bacteria.

Not only is the nurse exposed, but there is also the risk that there could be a cross-contamination or transmission to other patients, coworkers, or their own family members.

The point could be made that eye exposures are the most risky types, often resulting in illness or infections.

It is imperative for nursing professionals to speak to their eye doctor and be proactive about their eye health by wearing proper protection.

Safety

The OSHA PPE standard states that safety requirements for the eyes are focused more on physical hazards in the workplace that may cause injury rather than illness or infection.

And OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens Standard leaves the selection and placement of eye protection up to the employer.

Safety goggles are often used for eye protection against injury and BBFE in the workplace. The CDC recommends safety goggles, not only for protecting against BBFE, but also contaminated fingers.

And of course, they are effective in protection against flying objects.

However, if the employer doesn’t provide them the chances are the nurse isn’t going to be wearing them.

Eye protection also needs to be made available at the point of service. If a nurse has to go outside of the patient room to obtain protection, then the chances are they won’t do it, they will help the patient and put themselves at risk.

Managers must set expectations and provide education in order to establish a habit of wearing protective eye gear. It does no good to purchase the gear for healthcare workers if they are not utilizing them. These are the ways to ensure the staff wear them regularly.

Issues with Safety Goggles

It would not matter how many pairs of safety goggles were made available to healthcare workers if the PPE itself caused more problems than it solved.

For instance, one of the main complaints nurses have wearing safety goggles is – they can’t see!

Since vision is kind of important for patient care, many nurses are going to sacrifice their own safety in favor of superior patient care, and leave the goggles.

If a nurse requires corrective eyewear, safety goggles will often not fit properly over them, or be uncomfortable or clumsy and affect vision.

Another issue is the upkeep. Safety goggles are not disposable, and require cleaning/sterilizing after every use. This is labor and time consuming, not to mention an expense.

Nurses and healthcare practitioners would be responsible for their own prescription safety goggles for the most ideal protection and comfort. It’s time to have that talk.

Rx for Safety

The most effective protection for your eye health is to take matters into your own hands. Talk to your doctor about a medical safety glasses prescription.

By getting a customized pair, you can be sure you’re getting the best protection without compromising on comfort and function.

While you will have many options for prescription safety glasses, make sure you keep function in the daily job in mind when deciding

. You will want anti-fog coating so that you will still be able to see when room temperatures change. And also when you sweat!

A nurse’s job is not all about patient care. Significant amounts of your time is spent entering data into digital patient files, exposing your eyes to harmful blue light.

A prescription safety goggle can help block this light and protect your eyes.

It is important for nurses to take their eye health into their own hands. If your workplace doesn’t provide adequate safety goggles, you need to seriously consider a medical safety glasses prescription.

Don’t put yourself at risk for infection and disease, just because safety gear is an uncomfortable hindrance.

A customized pair of prescription safety goggles can be fashionable, comfortable, and highly effective in protecting your eye health. It’s time to talk to your doctor today.

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