Safe Patient Handling While Keeping Nurses Free Of Injury
The issue of safely handling patients is an important one for the nursing profession
. Nurses often must manually lift, reposition or move patients as part of their treatment, but this can lead to health problems for the nurse involving muscle, joint or bone injuries.According to the American Nurses Association, 12 percent of nurses who consider leaving nursing give back pain as one of the factors in their decision. About 52 percent of nurses complain about chronic back pain from moving patients. The ANA has argued that these issues have to be addressed, especially considering the nursing shortage that now exists.
The ANA advocates the use of lifting equipment or other mechanical devices in healthcare facilities, which, according to the organization, creates a safer work environment and improves the quality of care for patients. Such equipment also would reduce healthcare costs, according to the ANA. And it would add to the safety of patients by reducing the chance of an accident that might occur if nurses move the patients.
According to government statistics, the average nurse lifts a total of 1.8 tons on an eight-hour shift. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics lists nursing among the top 10 jobs which report the most on-the-job injuries that lead to time off.
The ANA wants to make safe patient handling a legal requirement to protect patient safety. The organization supports the Occupational Health and Safety Administration's (OSHA) standards for safe patient handling and movement. So far, eight states have enacted safe patient handling laws.
The ANA also is pushing for legislation at the national level to improve safe patient handling.
According to OSHA, there are a number of different devices that can be used to move patients, including transfer sheets, lateral transfer devices, beds that automatically turn patients, ceiling lifts, sit-stand assistive devices, and portable passive lifts.
OSHA has also listed some common misconceptions about lifting and injury. Some of these misconceptions include believing that body mechanics training is effective in preventing job-related injuries, that back belts are effective in reducing injury, that nurses who are physically fit are less at risk, that it is safe to lift a 200-pound patient, and that mechanical lifts are not affordable.
But it is also not the case that if a facility buys the equipment, staff will automatically use it. A comprehensive training program is necessary to integrate the use of the equipment into the facility's procedures. This will help prevent back injuries and keep nurses in the workforce.
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