This Is
COOL
Insurance Made Simple
The Benefits of a Safe Patient
Handling Program
B
ecause of age or incapacitation due to illness or injury, patients in health care
settings often need help performing normal daily tasks like sitting up or walking.
Helping patients with these tasks requires significant physical demands, putting
employees in danger of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs).
MSDs – such as muscle strains, lower back injuries, rotator cuff injuries and tendinitis
– are the most common workplace injuries suffered by nurses and other health care
workers. Risk factors include repeated and forceful movements associated with patient
care like lifting, transferring and repositioning.
All together, MSDs account for almost half of the injuries and illnesses reported for
nurses and nursing support staff, and rates of MSDs for nursing assistants are almost
four times higher than the average for all workers.
The use of lifting equipment is essential for a
successful safe patient handling program and can
reduce exposure to lifting injuries by 95 percent.
The good news is that MSDs, especially back injuries, can be
prevented by implementing a safe patient handling program
and using mechanical lift equipment. The use of lifting
equipment is essential for a successful safe patient handling
program and has been shown to reduce exposure to manual
lifting injuries by up to 95 percent.
Benefits of a Safe Patient Handling Program
Safe patient handling programs reduce the risk of injury for both health care workers
and patients while improving the quality of patient care. Other benefits of safe patient
handling programs include the following
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More satisfying work environment and professional status
Improved nursing recruitment and retention
Increased patient satisfaction and comfort
Fewer patient falls and pressure ulcers
Reduced costs associated with injuries
Elements of a Successful Safe Patient Handling Program
The key elements of a safe lifting program include the following:
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Commitment from management at all levels: Gaining management support
is critical for program success. Management can provide visible support by
consistently communicating the importance of safe patient handling, assigning roles
for various aspects of a safe patient handling program to appropriate managers,
supervisors and other employees, and providing appropriate resources for
implementing and sustaining the program over time.
A safe patient handling committee that involves front-line workers: To design
and implement a safe patient handling program, as well as to evaluate and sustain
the program into the future, the front-line (non-managerial) employees who provide
direct care to patients should be well-represented on the safe patient handling
committee.
(See The Benefits of on page 6)
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Adviser a publication of LeadingAge New York | Spring 2017