Organizational justice represents a key construct in healthcare settings, influencing professionals' well-being, quality of care, and the sustainability of healthcare systems. In nursing, the perception of fairness in decision-making processes, resource allocation, and professional relationships plays a particularly relevant role. This study aimed to analyse organizational justice in nursing settings, exploring its antecedents, consequences, and measurement approaches, integrating evidence from the literature with nurses' perceptions. A narrative literature review was conducted, consulting PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar using search strategies structured around specific thematic areas. To further explore the findings, an exploratory qualitative study was conducted, based on semi-structured interviews with 16 nurses selected through purposeful sampling. Data were analysed using narrative synthesis and thematic analysis. Organizational justice emerged as a multidimensional construct articulated into distributive, procedural, and relational dimensions, and associated with outcomes such as job satisfaction, psychological well-being, burnout, and turnover. Key antecedents included leadership styles, decision-making processes, organizational communication, and recognition systems. Qualitative findings highlighted how organizational justice is experienced as a concrete, everyday phenomenon, shaped by inequalities in opportunities, limited participation in decision-making, lack of recognition, and relational dynamics perceived as arbitrary. These conditions are associated with frustration, loss of motivation, and progressive disengagement, leading to outcomes such as burnout, turnover, and forms of withdrawal, including forms of withdrawal that may be interpreted as quiet quitting. Organizational justice can be considered a structural dimension of healthcare settings, crucial for professionals' well-being and quality of care. Promoting transparent, participatory, and fair decision-making processes, together with inclusive leadership and recognition practices, represents a strategic priority to prevent disengagement and support the sustainability of healthcare systems.
BACKGROUND:The Prevention Department represents the technical and functional structure of the Italian National Health Service responsible for implementing collective prevention and public health activities. Ensuring the appropriate allocation of qualified healthcare workers (HCWs) within this setting is fundamental to guarantee the delivery of essential services, maintain system efficiency, and address emerging public health challenges. METHODS:This study proposes a methodological framework for estimating the annual workable hourly rate of Environmental Health Officers operating within Prevention Departments. The model integrates multiple parameters including, for the workplace safety topic, the size of the working population subject to territorial control activities, the number of companies intended for checks according to national and regional planning, contributing to the calculation of effective working time based on Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) hours. Additional corrective factors are incorporated to account for absenteeism, indirect activities, travel time related to territorial characteristics, and specific targeted prevention programs. The approach was informed by institutional standards, European policy recommendations, and data derived from a Local Health Authority located in the Veneto Region. RESULTS:The proposed model combines two main reference indicators: one Environmental Health Officer per 10,000 workers in the sector within the territorial jurisdiction and an additional professional per 400 companies. The calculation of effective workforce availability considers an estimated average of 1,408 working hours per year per FTE, adjusted for absenteeism and indirect activities. These parameters allow for a more realistic estimation of programmable activities based on standard average times to ensure adequate inspection, surveillance, and other prevention activities. CONCLUSIONS:The investigated methodology could provide a structured approach to workforce planning within Prevention Departments, supporting evidence-based staffing decisions and improving the alignment between service demand and human resources. In a context characterized by evolving public health needs, workforce shortages, organizational transformation, and flexible allocation of HCWs, useful policies for effectively managing human capital will be essential to ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of prevention services within the public health system.
BACKGROUND AND AIM:According to Legislative Decree 81/08, any university student performing any activity in a laboratory, including teaching laboratories, is considered a worker and therefore subject to current legislation. This study aimed to assess the chemical and biological risk in university teaching laboratories of Urbino. METHODS:The chemical and biological risk assessment was carried out in 6 teaching laboratories of Urbino University using the ISPRA method and INAIL questionnaires (one for intentional use and one for potential exposure), respectively. RESULTS:Overall, the activities carried out in the examined teaching laboratories resulted in chemical level lower than 1, except one activity (1.304). In total, 192 hazardous reagents were identified; 16, classified as carcinogens/mutagens, are handled exclusively by the technical assistants. As regards the biological risk, the activities with potential exposure resulted in an acceptable risk level (83%) and only one in a medium risk level (17%). In the case of the intentional use, all the examined activities showed a medium risk level, ranging from 2.29 to 3.43. DISCUSSION:These results highlight the importance of the safety training provided to students attending the laboratories, as well as the awareness of teachers regarding safety. The risk assessment here presented was referred to technical assistants and course instructors, rather than the students themselves. Even if this approach is certainly more conservative, the question of the true extent of the chemical and biological risks to which students are exposed during their laboratory activities remains open. CONCLUSIONS:The development of a standardized tool for this purpose, beside the standard risk assessments used in research laboratories, would provide more information on risk exposure and risk perceptions by the students.
Background Quality and patient safety policies in Italy are constantly evolving. Given the rapidly aging population and the increased vulnerability, it is essential to consistently ensure high levels of attention to quality and risk assessment in long-term healthcare facilities, providing medical and social care to elderly residents or to adults with disabilities (LTHFs). Objective The objective was to identify critical issues that persist in (LTHFs) in Lombardy despite the prevention and containment strategies currently in place or ongoing, and to identify areas for improvement. Materials and Methods The cross-sectional study was based on a questionnaire developed and applied by the Risk Managers of the eight Local Agencies for Health Protection, in the LTHFs in their respective geographical areas. Descriptive, correlation, and factorial analyses were performed. Results and discussion The response rate was 82% (674 LTHFs). Results for 2022 indicate that only 43.8% of the LTHFs had designated a Risk Manager, while 67.2% had established an Incident Reporting System. No incidents were reported in half of the LTHFs. Overall, the number of reported incidents varied greatly (mean: 13.8 ± 38.9). While data protection and ethical-behavioural risks were mapped in more than 80% of the LTHFs, risks concerning internal or external communication (53.5%), litigation (47.8%) and reputation (41.1%) were mapped in fewer LTHFs. The level of implementation of the Ministerial Recommendations applicable to LTHFs ranged from 94.6% for fall prevention, to 43.8% for prevention of violence against staff, to 43.4% for prevention of transfusion reactions caused by AB0 incompatibility, and to 34.3% for prevention of suicide in the facility. Most LTHFs implemented a range of risk prevention strategies, but those concerning the use of benzodiazepines (50.7%), the prevention of antibiotic resistance (47.8%), the antibiotic consumption (42.6%), and the provision of personalized packaging for safety and medication adherence (28.6%) were implemented in less than half of the LTHFs. The formal appointment of a Risk Manager was significantly correlated with the level of implementation of best practices related to risk management, quality of care, and communication. The psychometric properties of the questionnaire were acceptable for a model with 46 items grouped into 5 distinct domains: "General risk mapping"; "Main Ministerial Recommendations"; "Risk management strategies"; "Particular events and special medications" and "Quality and communication." Therefore, the authors encourage its widespread application in other LTHFs. Conclusion The study highlights both positive aspects and critical issues concerning risk management in LTHFs in the Lombardy region as well as opportunities for improvement. The collaboration between the Regional Centre for Management of Clinical Risk and Patient Safety, the Risk Managers of the Local Agencies for Health Protection, and the LTHFs remains essential for improving quality and resident safety.
The mpox outbreaks observed in 2025 highlighted significant shifts in transmission dynamics, viral clades, and public health responses, particularly in Africa. In contrast, Sierra Leone experienced its largest mpox outbreak that year-Africa's first major Clade IIb epidemic-which ran from 10 January to 17 December 2025. It involved 5,442 confirmed cases among 7,110 suspected cases, a case fatality rate of 1.1%, and 22,536 contacts identified. A public health emergency was declared on 13 January 2025. Transmission peaked in epidemiological week 20 (May 2025) with 654 confirmed cases. The burden was highest in Western Area Urban (55.4%, 3,014 cases), Western Area Rural (19.9%), and Bombali (6.1%). Cases predominantly affected young adults aged 20-39 years (median age 26) and males (52.5%). Key affected groups included sex workers, children under 15 years (6.5%), and pregnant women (1.6%). High population density in Freetown, limited resources, weak coordination, misinformation, and surveillance gaps facilitated spread. Genomic evidence revealed undetected Clade IIb (hMPXV-1 lineage, including G.1) circulating for ~3 months from Nigeria. Environmental contamination affected 13.5% of healthcare surfaces. Symptoms included rash, fever, headache, lymphadenopathy, sore throat, and pain; 28.9% of cases were hospitalized, often delayed by stigma and fear. Among those screened for HIV co-infection (23.6%), 82% of deaths occurred in co-infected individuals. The National Public Health Agency (NPHA) implemented seven response pillars: case management and isolation, infection prevention and control (IPC), risk communication, targeted vaccination (186,470 doses administered from 267,000 received), coordination, surveillance, and research. The outbreak ended after 42 consecutive case-free days, underscoring the importance of early surveillance and genomic monitoring to prevent sustained urban transmission.
