How Does Safe Patient Handling Benefit Healthcare Workers?

A comprehensive Safe Patient Handling Program is proven to:

Reduce Injuries

Decrease Pain and Muscle Fatigue

Decrease Lost Work Days

Decrease Overtime

Increase Morale

Increase Job Satisfaction


Letter to the Editor on "Nurse Safety: Have We Addressed the Risks?" July 26, 2005
in response to topic Nurse Safety: Have We Addressed the Risks?


Dear Editor:


Thank you for your attention to the problem of back injury from patient lifting discussed in the Nurse Safety Topic. Health care workers (90% women) are among the workers who most frequently suffer work-related, disabling back injury (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2004). Though research proves that lifting patients is hazardous, and that mechanical lift equipment could prevent most nurse back injury, many nurses are still required to lift patients, and are often terminated when disabled by the lifting. Back injury may be the single largest contributor to the shortage, with perhaps 12% of nurses leaving, or fired, each year due to back injury (Owen, 1989).

Using proper body mechanics and "getting help" in lifting patients to prevent back injuries are myths which cannot protect nurses when lifting dangerous amounts of weight. Understanding the physiological effect on the spine from repetitive hazardous lifting (generally not taught in nursing school) would unveil to nurses the exploitation of manual patient lifting. Such knowledge would empower nurses to demand safe lift equipment with strict No Lift policies; to work toward "No Manual Lift for Healthcare" legislation; and to negotiate for Permanent Light Duty for nurses disabled by patient lifting, yet who wish to continue nursing. It is time to take the load off the backs of nurses and to implement technology designed for the task.

Anne Hudson, RN, BSN, BIN (Back Injured Nurse)
Work Injured Nurses' Group USA
Coos Bay, OR
anne@wingusa.org

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor. (2004). Case and demographic characteristics for work-related injuries and illnesses involving days away from work: Supplemental tables 2002. Retrieved June 13, 2005, from http://stats.bls.gov/iif/oshwc/osh/case/ostb1267.pdf

Owen, B.D. (1989). The magnitude of low-back problems in nursing. Western Journal Of Nursing Research, 11(2), 234-242.


Why Is the United States Losing Healthcare Workers to Other Professions?

The national turnover rate for nurses in 2003 was 14.6% The National turnover rate for Certified Nurses Aides in 2002 was 71%. The top reason (36%) that nurses leave the profession aside from retirement, is to seek a job less physically demanding (American Nurses Association). 55% of nurses noted that they were so disheartened with their profession, that they would not recommend a nursing career (American Nurses Association).
It is predicted that unless this issue is resolved, the demand for nursing services will exceed the supply by nearly 30% in 2020.

Nurses, CNAs and LPNs spend 20-30% of their time bent forward or with the trunk twisted during patient care activities Even with good techniques, it is not possible to lift patients manually without exceeding the NIOSH Action Limit (50 lbs.) Patient care is the only profession that considers 100 lbs. lightweight. Nurses lift an average of 1.8 tons per eight hour shift.

Cumulative trauma from manual lifting, transferring & repositioning patients can lead to career ending musculoskeletal injuries. Healthcare workers are now rapidly becoming patients. Those that care for people in their time of need deserve better.



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