EMPLOYEE HEALTH EDUCATION MAY BE THE "BEST MEDICINE"
American Association of Occupational Health Nurses Offers Tips to Help Employers Weather the Flu Season
ATLANTA -- The 2004-2005 influenza season could begin as early as this month, and with flu vaccine in significantly short supply, many employers are not able to offer flu shots to their workforce. To help keep employees healthy, the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, Inc. (AAOHN) encourages employers to shift the focus of their employee flu-immunization efforts towards educating employees about smart and healthy behaviors that could help them avoid the flu this season.
On average each year in the United States, from five percent to 20 percent of the population will contract the flu*. With cases of the flu likely to be on the rise during the 2004-05 influenza season due to vaccine shortage, the economic impact on businesses could be significant. The annual costs of unscheduled employee absences, due to factors including illness, can range from $60,000 to well over $1 million**, depending on company size.
"The business community was caught off guard with the recent announcement about this year’s dramatically limited vaccine supply, and could face operational challenges related to unscheduled employee absences because of illness," said AAOHN President Susan A. Randolph, MSN, RN, COHN-S. "The best way to mitigate these challenges will be for employers to now focus on educating employees about healthy behaviors that can help them avoid contracting influenza or to react appropriately should they become ill."
Using current best practices from expert resources, as well as AAOHN members, the association encourages employers to share the following information about healthy behaviors with employees:
Practice good respiratory hygiene – A primary way the flu spreads from person to person is via coughs and sneezes. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands.
- Keep your hands clean – Be vigilant about washing your hands often during the day. Wash hands with antibacterial soap and warm water for at least 15 to 20 seconds. When soap isn’t available, you can use alcohol based hand wipes or gel sanitizers as a substitute.
- Eat, drink and be healthy – Maintain a well-balanced diet and be sure to drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Enhance the beneficial effects of a healthy diet by increasing your Vitamin C intake.
- Don’t stress out – If your stress levels are high, your body is more susceptible to illness. To combat stress, get plenty of rest and try to exercise regularly. Additionally, make an effort to step outside for some fresh air during your already scheduled daily work breaks.
- Learn how to recognize the flu – It’s important to recognize the difference between the flu and other common ailments. Symptoms* of the flu include a high fever; head and muscle aches; extreme fatigue; dry cough and sore throat; runny or stuffy nose and gastro-intestinal symptoms.
- Finally, if you get the flu, stay home – If you do wind up contracting the flu despite preventative measures, don’t put your co-workers at risk. Stay home.
Established in 1942, AAOHN is a 10,000 member professional association dedicated to advancing the health, safety and productivity of domestic and global workforces by providing education, research, public policy and practice resources for occupational and environmental health nurses. These professionals are the largest group of health care providers serving the worksite. For more information, visit www.aaohn.org.
*According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
**According to the 2004 CCH Unscheduled Absence Survey
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