[brian]

A Milwaukee nurse is urging lawmakers to relieve nurses' aching backs.
Dian Palmer says moving heavy patients is tough on nurses. She says they face what could be career-ending back injuries from bending awkwardly to keep patients comfortable.


Palmer is pushing for a law to require the use of mechanical lifts instead.
Judith Warmuth is a former nurse now with the Wisconsin Hospital Association. She agrees the risk is significant but shies away from saying lifts should be mandatory.


Warmuth says the main problem is convincing patients and their families that the devices are safe.

Full Story: Nurse says law mandating mechanical lifts could save nurses' ... [WBAY,WI]

[chadash]

Originally Posted by brian

A Milwaukee nurse is urging lawmakers to relieve nurses' aching backs.
Dian Palmer says moving heavy patients is tough on nurses. She says they face what could be career-ending back injuries from bending awkwardly to keep patients comfortable.


Palmer is pushing for a law to require the use of mechanical lifts instead.
Judith Warmuth is a former nurse now with the Wisconsin Hospital Association. She agrees the risk is significant but shies away from saying lifts should be mandatory.


Warmuth says the main problem is convincing patients and their families that the devices are safe.

Full Story: Nurse says law mandating mechanical lifts could save nurses' ... [WBAY,WI]

To which I reply: OO-RAH!

[rehab nurse]

as a nurse with so many back injuries d/t nursing, i only wish i could go back in time and implement this at the beginning of my career. it would have saved me a lot of pain.

[MickyB-RN]

Yes! I worked in a facility that was a no-lift facility and it was a nice change. No back injuries reported by nurses or cna's.

[tlcprn2u]

My question is: why is the Wisconsin Hospital Association opposed to having the lifts become mandatory? So that nurses' backs do not get protected? So that there are more and more workers compensation claims filed? So that in a female dominated profession with a median age around 46 years there is an increase in disabled nurses? I will stop now.
For crying out loud: what is wrong with the people in these associations????

[wonka]

A good question...I can't see the benefit either...

[tlcprn2u]

Have you heard about the Washington State Lift Law? It has the endorsement of the Hospital Association!
Maybe Wisconsin's Hospital Association needs a tutorial on working together!!!

[vloho]

OK If someone doesn't want then, they cost too much ? At the facility where I worked they had total lift, and sit to stand these were great there just weren't enough of them.They are large and bulky,where do we put them,and have easy acess. someone finally figured that a lift would save back injury. Duh

[earle58]

this is one of many reasons on why there is such a nsg shortage.
we are losing our seasoned, experienced nurses in ridiculously alarming rates because facilities aren't doing squat to retain them. by this former nurse shying away from mandating these lifts, merely shows the disrespect nurses continue to deal with. aw heck, let the backs continue to break! after all, they're only nurses!!

[chadash]

Originally Posted by earle58

this is one of many reasons on why there is such a nsg shortage.
we are losing our seasoned, experienced nurses in ridiculously alarming rates because facilities aren't doing squat to retain them. by this former nurse shying away from mandating these lifts, merely shows the disrespect nurses continue to deal with. aw heck, let the backs continue to break! after all, they're only nurses!!

Amen!
I know many fine nurses with great brains and weak backs...