Musculo-skeletal Injuries, Safe Patient Handling Research

Nurses Disabilities

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safe patient handling and transfer

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from: american federation of teachers:

http://www.aft.org/topics/no-lift/

numerous studies have documented a high prevalence of back, knee, shoulder and other joint pain among healthcare workers. based on workers' compensation claims for back injuries, nursing aides and licensed practical nurses (lpns) ranked fifth and ninth, respectively, among all occupations as those most at risk for such injuries. nursing aides are at a higher risk for back injuries than construction laborers, lumbermen, material handlers and laborers.

lifting and transferring of patients are the most commonly reported causes of back pain and knee and shoulder injury among healthcare workers.

most programs for the prevention of back and joint injury to healthcare personnel tend to focus on proper lifting techniques, body mechanics and back care.

but many researchers now recommend an ergonomics approach that focuses on workplace assessment of patient care areas, patient assessment criteria, algorithms for safe patient handling and movement, lifting and transfer equipment, peer-safety leaders, lifting teams, incident reviews and similar policies.

these ergonomic approaches to safe patient handling and transfer policies are often called "no-lift" or "zero-lift" policies.

lpnornot

85 Posts

The following I copied from ANA's website I did a lot of the boldong:

http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAPoliticalPower/State/StateLegislativeAgenda/SPHM.aspx

Safe Patient Handling and Movement

Background

As part of the American Nurses Association's (ANA's) Nationwide State Legislative Agenda, ANA and its State Nurses Association's are promoting legislation that would require hospitals and other health care institutions to develop programs to prevent work-related musculoskeletal disorders and eliminate manual patient lifting.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health identifies back injury as the second leading occupational injury in the US, with back pain as the most common reason for filing workers' compensation claims. In 1990, estimates of the annual cost of back injury ranged from $50 to $100 billion in the United States. (1) Studies of back related worker's compensation claims reveal that nursing personnel have the highest claim rates of any occupation or industry.

Compared to other occupations, nursing personnel are among the highest at risk for musculoskeletal disorders. According to the Bureau of labor Statistics (2006), nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants ranked second, immediately following laborers (first) and RNs fifth in a list of at-risk occupations for strains and sprains. More than one third of back injuries among nursing personnel have been associated with the handling of patients and the frequency with which nurses are required to manually move patients. (2)

lpnornot

85 Posts

from:

http://www.nursingworld.org/mainmenucategories/anamarketplace/anaperiodicals/ojin/tableofcontents/volume92004/number3september30/handlewithcare.aspx

i did a lot of the bolding,underkinig, itatlics to stress certain points. lpnornot

handle with care®: the american nurses association's campaign to address work-related musculoskeletal disorders

abstract

in response to the
significant number and severity of work-related back injuries and other musculoskeletal disorders among nurses,
the american nurses association (ana) has launched the
handle with care® campaign*
. the campaign seeks to build a health care industry-wide effort to
prevent back and other musculoskeletal injuries
. this is being done through
developing partnerships and coalitions, education and training, increasing use of assistive equipment and patient-handling devices, reshaping nursing education to incorporate safe patient handling, and pursuing federal and state ergonomics policy by highlighting technology-oriented safe-patient handling benefits for patients and nurses.
in the
absence of ergonomics regulations at national or state levels
that protect health care workers, ana has taken on alternative approaches to encourage a movement to control ergonomic hazards in the health care workplace and prevent back injuries among the nation's nursing workforce.

opalesce

6 Posts

Specializes in All areas.

Hi, same issues here in Australia. I have worked for 30 years in primary care nursing as Registered Nurse in all nursing specialities. It's only now, because of the high rate of compensation claims that the powers that be, are looking at implementing more of the mechanical aids and more nursing staff are required with continual inservices for correct

manual handling.:idea:

woody62, RN

928 Posts

Specializes in icu, er, transplant, case management, ps.

I worked for twenty-five years as a R.N. During that time, I suffered three major low back strains. The last one resulting in a herniated disc at L4-5, for which I had surgery. The first time I was injured, I worked with six other R.N.'s on a unit. The second time I was injured, I worked with four R.N.'s. The last time, when I herniated my disc, it was one other nurse and myself, no LPN's no CNA's. And no one to call for an assist. Until we staff enough people, ensure all assisting devices are available, I am sorry but we will continue to be injured. Our patients and their families are really not too concerned with us being injured. They want to be pulled up or have their position changed, or get in or out of bed, or to the bathroom.

And I received my last injury assisting a one hundred pound eighty year old man up in bed. I had lower the head of his bed. I used proper body mechanics. And depended on him to assist me, like he had earlier in the evening. He was too weak and he could not help me. And neither of us realized it until I went to help him move.

Woody:twocents:

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