Lynda Lampert, RN

It starts in nursing school. The lie is perpetrated by management in just about every facility. They say they care about your health, your back, but is it true? Unfortunately, it is not. Many studies have shown, many experts have spoken out, and many...

Nurses deal with plenty of nagging pain problems. If it isn't your back or neck, it is likely your feet that are causing you pain. This is usually the result of standing from eight to twelve hours, moving constantly, and sometimes wearing less than s...

You're standing at your computer, charting on your patients. The end of the shift is nearing, and you really want to get this done so that you can get home. As you are typing, you hear a loud snoring noise coming from your patient's room. Suddenly al...

Are you part of the 52 percent? According to the American Nurse Association, 52 percent of nurses report experiencing chronic back pain. Unfortunately, 12 percent of nurses report they are leaving the profession due to back problems, further exacerba...

Few things give a new nurse more stress than having to call a doctor or other provider. Other providers include advanced practice nurses and sometimes physician's assistants. It is far easier to ask a coworker for help or even a manager, but calling ...

Jennifer Castaneda, RN, BSN, HCT, didn't know what was wrong, but she knew that she didn't want to work at the bedside anymore. When she was younger, her future profession was preordained. Many of her family members worked in the medical field. Now s...

That's a good point. The spinal surgeon would be likely to give injections. Our conversation never strayed to it, as we were comparing the three. However, I do agree that injections, either steroid epidural or trigger point, are a great intermedia...

This is such a good post that I wish it was in the original article. New nurses -- and experienced! -- take heed, because this is how you do it.

As someone who worked almost exclusively on 3rd shift, I've found that 1st shift can get annoyed when you do this. They shouldn't, but I can see their point that I am pushing my work into their shift. Now, I suppose it would depend on the patient, ...

New nurse orientation is one of the most eye opening experiences in becoming a nurse. You shift from being coddled to experiencing what the real world is like. Even nurses who change jobs have difficulty with orientation because nursing is so detail ...

True enough, and perhaps I will leave it at that. I hope you don't hurt your backs. I really do. That's the whole point of this, to protect nurses. If you choose body mechanics over mechanical lifts, then you know the consequences now. Happy tho...

Hi there, Thanks for the constructive feedback. The tone of the article was mine alone. I used this language to: 1. Get the attention of the most people possible 2. Draw attention to the NPR article 3. Start a discussion that would lead to further nu...

Dr. Powell-Cope has researched, published, and been peered reviewed on the topic of body mechanics. This is what she says: If you haven't been injured yet, anon, you will be. Your discs are damaged by moving that much weight, whether you feel it o...

This is a great article about how to start a safe lifting program in your hospital. The first step is education, and the second is action. Thanks again, Dr. Powell-Cope!

I think lifting under weight lifting circumstances is different than the lifting we do as nurses. You have a strong core. You work one group of muscles at a time. You are not working under awkward body positions. Safety equipment is in place for ...

The nurse I talked to who went through so much with her back had a terrible time with Workmen's Comp. That's another article, too. She was basically bullied into going back to work when she didn't feel 100 percent about her back. Unfortunately, sh...

Thank you for your time, Doctor! I was wondering if you could speak to initiating the conversation about safe lifting in your facility? That's a great question!

Hi all, Just woke up, so I thought I would address some of the ideas expressed here overnight. The idea of 35 pounds is the maximum weight limit came from my expert at the CDC and was confirmed by Dr. Powell-Cope. It is the maximum for all jobs. I...

From what I've learned talking to these experts, physical fitness does play a role, but even the most physically fit nurse would still hurt their back without using mechanical assistive devices. Perhaps Dr. Powell-Cope can speak more to this tomorrow...

Still don't believe? Here's one from the ANA: Evidence-Based Practices for Safe Patient Handling and Movement And more: Handle With Care®: The American Nurses Association’s Campaign to Address Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders To quote: ...

All I can say to this is that I just checked all of my links, and they work. For instance, this one CDC - Safe Patient Handling - NIOSH Workplace Safety and Health Topic. All of this research is based on peer-reviewed, evidence base science that prov...

LOL, no I felt I was lied to about a lot more, but I won't get into that here. Maybe another article on that one. As for lifts, Hoyers have come a long way and there are now a lot of disposable means of moving patients mechanically. Yes, they do ta...

Dr. Powell-Cope, what is your opinion of lift team? I know Dr. Collins was scornful of them, but I don't think I had the chance to ask you that question.

I feel like we've been lied to. Were we told that body mechanics is only useful to 35 pounds? Were we told that the back breaks down after years of lifting even if you use proper body mechanics? How is it better that you use body mechanics to stav...

If you had mechanical lifts when you started nursing, you wouldn't have had back pain that continued into your career. You wouldn't have needed to see a chiropractor or a physical therapist at all if your lifting was safe. In addition, you admit that...