Safe in Common to Exhibit at American Academy of Nurse Practitioners' 27th National Conference

ORLANDO, Fla., June 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Safe in Common (SIC), a non-profit organization of healthcare safety advocates, announced it will exhibit at the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners' (AANP) 27th National Conference, which will be held in Orlando, Fla. from June 22 – 23. 

As part of its year-long Needlestick Safety Advocacy Tour, Safe in Common is taking an active role in attending and exhibiting at healthcare personnel conferences across the country to raise awareness about needlestick safety and the need for safer engineering controls.  According to OSHA, 5.6 million U.S. healthcare personnel are at risk of occupational exposure to HIV, hepatitis C and other life-threatening bloodborne diseases transmitted via needlestick or sharps related injuries – Safe in Common believes that this risk can be greatly reduced with proper education and training as well as the right equipment.

Dr. Mary Foley, PhD, RN, Chairperson of Safe in Common said, "With more than 155,000 nurse practitioners currently working the United States, this group is a vital part of the frontline healthcare personnel community.  During the AANP National Conference, we will continue to increase awareness of the pervasiveness of needlestick injuries. We will also provide insight into the simplest, safest technologies available so nurse practitioners can work without the fear of contracting life-threatening diseases."

Safe in Common will be exhibiting at Booth 857, where healthcare workers can engage with the Organization, learn more about how to join its mission, and sign the Needlestick Safety Pledge as a step toward preventing needlestick and sharps related injuries.

"This year's AANP Conference theme, 'Your Patient's Health Starts with You,' is the perfect complement to Safe in Common's own mission," continued Foley.  "In order for nurses and other healthcare personnel to perform their daily duties, they must feel safe, secure and healthy. While a patient's health is of the utmost priority, government, hospitals and doctors must never neglect the health and safety of their nurses."

SIC encourages healthcare decision makers, lawmakers, and healthcare personnel to remain diligent in their enforcement and promotion of the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act until all occupational needlestick injuries are eradicated.  For more information about Safe in Common and the Organization's ongoing work to raise awareness of needlestick safety and promote the adoption of devices with safer engineering controls to protect healthcare workers from unnecessary needlestick and sharps related injuries, please visit http://www.safeincommon.org.

About Safe in Common
Safe in Common is a non-profit organization established to enhance and save the lives of U.S. healthcare personnel at risk of harm from needlestick injuries.  It is led by Chairperson Mary Foley, PhD, RN, former President of the American Nurses Association and other industry leaders. To learn more about the Needlestick Safety Pledge and its goal of promoting and strengthening the Federal Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act, please visit www.facebook.com/safeincommon and follow Safe in Common on Twitter at www.twitter.com/safeincommon.

Media Contacts:
Joe McGurk / Caitlin Cox
KCSA Strategic Communications
[email protected] / [email protected]
P: 212-896-1231 / 212-896-1289

SOURCE Safe in Common