Warm ups before starting your shift

[Tookie]

In this day and age where we as nurses have become so aware of injuries and protecting both our long and term careers and backs /bodies how many of you would start your shift with warm up exercises?

Does your organisation / workplace encourage you as a nurse to reduce manual handling injuries with this practice ?

And if they do is there any sites that can suggest that may support the practice?

We encourage the practice with limitied success -

We also provide the correct equipment and training - How can we more aware of protecting ourselves and each other through this and other work safe practices. Any thoughts on this?

Tookie

[Jenny P]

Sandra, unfortunately my "warm-up exercises" before my shift usually consist of hustling my buns to get into my unit from the parking lot on time! LOL!!! We do have an on site health center that employees can join and use, it just seems that there are very few nurses I know that use it (but we have around 2,000 nurses; so maybe I don't know the right people).

[duf]

hi tookie, here in ireland, the practice of correct manual handling and patient lifting is great in theory, but here there is a great theory/practice gap. Many do not want to change their practice - but i guess that'll be to their own expense - of back injury.

all the best

duf

[nursy_ann]

To get a job in Quebec it is a good thing if you already have a cerftification card (PDSB)---> how to move patients, and have your OMEGA card how to deal with an agressive patient.

Once you get the job the security commity talk once/year about security but in practice....we do NOTHING! except running on the scale to be in time in the unit cause the elevator is TOO slow!

but.... I think it is ok we can ask help if we think it is dangeourous to do a task alone. :)

[nursedawn67, LPN]

There is a nursing assistant at my facility that does warm up she will find an empty room or just go into the residents day room (which is empty at 6am anyway) and she takes a quick 5 minutes and stretches. I unfortunately don't have the time to do that, basically when I hit the floor I hit it running. LOL Most of the nurses do, med pass is about and hour after shift starts. We do utilize hoyer lifts though and mandate gait belts to be used. And I always tell my aides to please come ask for my help don't hurt yourself because you can't find help. :stone