While many people think of the healthcare industry as "clean," medical providers continue to accidentally contract diseases from incidents in the workplace. For example, Shelia, an emergency room nurse with 15 years experience, had just finished drawing blood from a patient when she disposed of the needle in the sharps container and felt a prick through her glove from a used needle that was hung up in the drop-down container lid. Several months later, Sheila learned that she had not only been infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) but also the hepatitis C virus.

1. In your opinion, were there precautions that Sheila could have taken in the emergency room where she worked to prevent her accidental infection? Explain your answer.
2. What other common hazards do healthcare professionals face in a medical office?