Graduation Semester and Year

Spring 2026

Language

English

Document Type

DNP Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Department

Nursing

First Advisor

Cynthia Casey

Second Advisor

Jennifer Lynn Roye

Abstract

Occupational hand injuries cause preventable morbidity, lost productivity, and workers’ compensation costs in manufacturing. Although safety policies and personal protective equipment (PPE) are in place, inconsistent glove use, slow hazard identification, and delayed response still cause injuries. This quality improvement (QI) project evaluated an eight-week, nurse-led injury-prevention bundle at a Texas heavy-vehicle manufacturing facility. The intervention required daily glove inspections, Safety Champion participation, real-time electronic hazard reporting, and corrective action within the shift. Injury outcomes were measured using Occupational Safety and Administration (OSHA) rates per 200,000 work hours and percentage change from baseline. After implementation, hand injury rates fell from 12.55 to 4.18 per 200,000 hours (a 66.7% reduction). Recordable injury rates dropped from 2.90 to 0.70 (a 75.9% reduction). All departments had over 90% glove-use compliance. Hazard reporting increased, with faster resolution. These results demonstrate that occupational health nurses can effectively lead sustainable, data-driven safety interventions in manufacturing.

Keywords

occupational health nursing; manufacturing safety; hand injury prevention; personal protective equipment (PPE) compliance; hazard reporting; quality improvement; environmental, health & safety (EHS)

Disciplines

Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing | Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene | Public Health and Community Nursing | Quality Improvement

License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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