National Surveillance System for Health Care Workers (NaSH)

About NaSH

Our nation's 8 million health care workers are at risk of acquiring infections in the course of providing care for their patients that can cause serious illnesses; these include hepatitis B and C infection, human immunodeficiency virus disease, vaccine preventable diseases such as influenza, and tuberculosis. Infections in healthcare workers are also a potential source of transmission to patients, coworkers, families and communities.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention developed the National Surveillance System for Health Care Workers (NaSH) and collaborates with healthcare facilities to systematically collect information important to prevent occupational exposures and infections among healthcare workers.

NaSH monitors:

  • immunization and tuberculin-skin testing programs
  • exposure events to:
    • blood and body fluids
    • vaccine-preventable diseases
    • tuberculosis

NaSH also evaluates:

  • the level of underreporting of percutaneous injuries
  • denominators for incidence rate calculations

Information on the types, frequency, and circumstances of exposures to infectious disease among healthcare workers will help local occupational health and infection control professionals:

  • detect emerging problems
  • set prevention priorities
  • monitor prevention program impact

NaSH also allows CDC to monitor trends, identify emerging hazards for health care workers, assess the risk of occupational infections, evaluate prevention strategies, and disseminate lessons learned to all.

Participation in NaSH is voluntary. By law, CDC assures NaSH participants that any information that could identify any individual or institution is held in strict confidence. For more information about NaSH, contact the CDC' s Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion by electronic mail at Nash@cdc.gov or by telephone at 800-893-0485.

Date last modified: July 21, 2000
Content source: 
Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion (DHQP)
National Center for Preparedness, Detection, and Control of Infectious Diseases