[NRSKarenRN]

From ANA Smart Briefs:

Patient-lifting equipment eases strain for nurses
More hospitals are using patient-lifting equipment as part of an effort to improve patient safety and reduce worker injuries. The slings are mounted on the ceiling and are able to perform a variety of tasks, including lifting patients onto wheelchairs. In 2003, 52% of nurses complained of chronic back pain, according to a report by the American Nurses Association. ThisWeek (Worthington, Ohio)

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ANA's Ergonomics/Handle With Care







The Handle with Care® campaign seeks to mount a profession-wide effort to prevent back and other musculoskeletal injuries through greater education and training, and increased use of assistive equipment and patient-handling devices. The campaign also seeks to reshape nursing education, and federal and state ergonomics policy by highlighting the ways technology-oriented safe-patient handling benefits patients and the nursing workforce.

[oramar]

Never have seen one of these hanging from a cieling but sounds like a good idea.

[cmo421]

States are starting to pass no lift laws for medical facilities. The issue now is getting them to implement policies that are practicle and follow thru on making sure they are practiced. It will be years before the affects are seen in the nursing world. Hopefully injuries will be reduced and our backs will be saved!

[RainDreamer]

Glad I'm in the minority!