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(Arianne Starnes/Examiner)
Paxon Barker, RN, BSN, at the University of Maryland School of Nursing, allegedly contracted asthma and reactive airways dysfunction syndrome due to prolonged exposure to strong disinfectants on the job. A press conference was held on Tuesday at the School of Nursing in Baltimore to discuss a recent survey finding that chemical exposures on the job may be linked to diseases in nurses.

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Filed under: BALTIMORE , Karl B. Hille , Nursing

BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Hospitals can make nurses sick.

University of Maryland School of Nursing teachers and students said Tuesday that hospitals need to rethink the way they clean and sterilize everything from the hospital lobby to the operating room because nurses are getting sick.

Nurses frequently exposed to sterilizing chemicals, housekeeping cleaners, residues from drug preparation, radiation and other hazardous substances reported increased rates of asthma, miscarriage and certain cancers, according to a survey released by UMd.’s School of Nursing.

In addition to their own peril, chemical exposure increased risks of cancers and birth defects in nurses’ children — particularly musculoskeletal defects, the study found.

When nurse Paxson Barker told her supervisors the harsh solvents she used to scrub the catheterization lab floor were literally stealing her breath, she said, “My hospital fought me tooth and nail, because I didn’t have the science behind me. I lost my job.”

Today she studies at the school’s Environmental Nursing Program and wants to keep other nurses from getting sick from their jobs.

They took the study — combining answers from 1,500 nurses nationwide — to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Tuesday, to urge the federal government to pay closer attention.

“We want valid, scientifically supported data,” said Brenda Afzal, environmental health coordinator for the School of Nursing. “We would like to see a study done by NIOSH.”

While sterile tools and environments are vital in many hospital settings, Afzal said the overdependence on the heaviest solvents leaves plenty of room for questions. “These chemicals are being used in our workplace now. If they were preventing [hospital-acquired infections] you wouldn’t be hearing about it.”

Maryland is a leader on these issues, said Barbara Sattler, director of the Environmental Health Education Center. Nationally, one in four hospitals belong to the organization Hospitals for a Healthy Environment. That jumps to half of Maryland hospitals, including all those operating in the Baltimore region.

And the students are leading the charge, Sattler said. “These nursing students read labels and pay a lot of attention to what they are feeding their children. These same nurses are starting to look at their workplace, and that’s why I think these nurses are going to lead the charge.”

khille@baltimoreexaminer.com