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Vol. 2 - No. 3 - March 5, 2007
Editor's note
Dear Subscriber,
Welcome to the third issue of Safe Lifting News for 2007. This pro bono e-newsletter is designed to help you keep abreast of what's happening in the world of safe patient lifting and caregiver injury prevention. If you'd like to make suggestions for topics to be covered in the future, please take a moment to fill out the "Comments" form at the end of the newsletter. And, if you've got a question, just "Ask the Lift Doctor" in the link below. As always, we look forward to hearing from you!
Warm regards,
Melissa Nowitz
Editor, Safe Lifting News
e-mail: melissa.nowitz@liko.com
Headlines in the news...
New "Safe Lifting Library" now available on the safe lifting portal
One of the driving forces behind Liko's sponsorship of the Safe Lifting Environment campaign is our desire to make it as easy as possible for readers to update themselves on the latest developments in caregiver injury prevention and safe patient handling techniques. We've added a comprehensive new "Library" section to the Safe Lifting Portal in an effort to help facilities and individuals get started with, or more effectively maintain, their safe lifting programs. To visit the new Library section, simply go to the home page of www.safeliftingportal.com.
"Patient Infomercials" are now available for Nursing Homes
Several readers of last month's newsletter asked us to produce new versions of the recently-introduced "patient infomercials" specifically for Long Term Care facilities. As a result, two new LTC versions of the popular infomercials are now available without charge. Click here to view the infomercials, or simply go to "Getting Started" and fill out the Infomercials form under the "Patients" tab. For our new readers, these infomercials are designed to inform patients about your facility's safe lifting policies and can be shown to patients upon admission or can appear on your in-house video system.
Legislative Roundup
As noted in the Jan. 30th "Special Edition" of this newsletter, Federal legislation for safe patient handling has been reintroduced (See newsletter archive for complete story.) Meanwhile, we continue to update progress in state legislatures across the country toward passing laws on safe patient handling and caregiver injury prevention. Click here to view this continuously updated list.
YOU can make a difference!
The United American Nurses (UAN, AFL-CIO), is working with Rep. John Conyers (D-MI) to pass a federal law (H.R. 378) mandating safe patient handling for RNs in hospitals. If you have incurred a back or musculoskeletal injury while lifting or transferring a patient, please document your story and pass it along to the UAN as part of their campaign to "help put a face on the statistics." There's a convenient Web form that you can fill out, and your response can be anonymous. By sharing your experiences you will be helping to prevent other nurses from being injured in the future. Visit www.uannurse.org and click on "Unsafe Handling - Not on My Back."
The Reading Room
Following are several suggested publications and Web links to background reading on topics related to safe lifting.
- "Back Care for Nurses" - This informative article by Alan Hedge, PhD, Professor of Ergonomics, Cornell University, documents the injury rate among nurses and looks at recent research on Nursing Back Injuries in Holland, Australia, and Italy. The article also proposes ways to reduce injury risks. Visit http://www.spineuniverse.com/displayarticle.php/
article1509.html.
- "OSHA, Univ. of Wisconsin form ergonomic alliance"
- The U of W's Milwaukee Center for Ergonomics is working with OSHA to develop training programs for health and safety professionals in an effort to combat ergonomic hazards. According to an OSHA spokesperson, "Injuries due to ergonomic hazards can be limited with proper attention to safe ergonomic practices including safe patient handling and movement practices. Joining with an organization of the stature and reputation of UWM to train students, employees and employers to combat these injuries supports the goal of employee safety." To read the full article, visit http://www.reliableplant.com.
- "Designing for the Obese"
- Building Design & Construction magazine talked with leading healthcare design experts for their advice on designing bariatric-friendly healthcare spaces: http://www.bdcnetwork.com/article/CA6281248.html
NEW
Reader Poll - Program Responsibility
If you had to designate one title, which of the following do you feel should be given responsibility for initiating and administering a safe lifting & caregiver injury prevention program in your healthcare facility?
Results of Last Month's "Nursing Resistance" Reader Poll
Following are results of the reader poll on "nursing resistance to using patient lifting equipment" that appeared in the January issue of this newsletter. While not statistically relevant due to limited sample size, you can draw your own conclusions. To view specific reader comments received as of Feb. 9, 2007, click here.
- 95% of respondents agree that there IS resistance among nurses to use of lift equipment and assistive devices.
- 97.5% of respondents believe safe lifting should be part of the core curriculum in nursing schools.
Note: The most frequently cited reason for nursing resistance? "The time it takes to go get the lift equipment."
Ask the Lift Doctor...
Ask the Lift Doctor - Safe Lifting Policy Statements
"Do you have any written policies I can access? We are in the process of developing safe lifting policies for caregivers. A "no manual lift," or "minimum lift" policy would be helpful."
Sonia Nahhas
Kaiser LAMC
Dear Sonia:
Thanks very much for raising an important issue that we believe is confronting healthcare institutions across the country. While policy statements are often created from scratch to meet the unique needs of an organization or culture, we believe there IS a benefit to sharing those statements and policies across the entire healthcare industry. Sharing leads to consensus, and consensus will lead to universal adoption of safe lifting standards. If you need guidance immediately, here are a couple of options: 1) Go to www.safeliftingportal.com, select the Safe Lifting Environment section, and click on "support" in the top navbar, then Policy Statement, 2) you might wish to review documents that are available on-line such as the "draft safe patient handling and movement policy" created by the Tampa VA. Also, your question has prompted us to start gathering a selection of policy statements for future inclusion on the safe lifting portal. Meanwhile, if others have developed policy statements they are willing to share regarding safe lifting, the safe lifting portal is designed to act as a repository and help make them available for reference by other institutions. Again, many thanks for raising this important issue.
Stay safe.
The Lift Doctor.
Ask the Lift Doctor - Training for Classroom Staff
"I am a physical therapist working in the public schools. There are a number of students who are unable to assist with transfers during their school day. We use mechanical lifts, sit-stand devices, etc., primarily by personal assistants or by classroom staff. Do you have any references on teaching safe lifting and transfers, guidelines for determining when a lift is needed, and determining the type of sling that is best for the student?"
Judie Davidson
County Health Department
Dear Judie:
Let’s begin by stating firmly that there is no substitute for a thorough, hands-on training session for caregivers and staff, but let’s also assume it is impractical to ask your various caregivers and PA’s to attend formal training classes. This means you probably need some combination of user-friendly assessment forms, guidelines and checklists to help ensure safe and effective use of the existing equipment. If your patient lifting equipment is all from the same manufacturer, you should first look to that manufacturer for instructions and guidance on determining when a lift is needed or what type of sling is recommended based on the student’s clinical requirements. Some manufacturers have assessment forms and other tools to provide the guidance you need. You might also consider sending one key person to a formal training program and designating that person as a "super-user" with responsibility for ensuring proper procedures are followed by all staff.
Stay safe.
The Lift Doctor
Ask the Lift Doctor - Safe Lifts outside of an Emergency Department
"We need ideas for safe lift assists outside our ED, especially out of family vehicles. A new ED is being planned and I would like to incorporate a safe lift system for this problem."
Carol Smith
Maine Coast Memorial Hospital
Dear Carol:
In an existing facility you have the option of using a telescoping-mast mobile floor lift (see Jan. ’07 issue of the Lift Doctor) or installing an overhead or ceiling mounted system. Your pending new construction project might offer an opportunity to "design in" an overhead system adjacent to the ED. In other words, your architect could be requested to design in an overhead system right in the ambulance bay. This overhead system should be able to assist in extracting patients weighing several hundred pounds. The patient could then be transferred to a wheelchair or gurney. Note that most mobile lifts are not able to be used for vehicle extractions.
Stay safe,
The Lift Doctor
Ask the Lift Doctor - Starting a Wellness Program
"We are looking at starting a wellness program and I was wondering if you know of any that we could adopt or give us any ideas on how to start a program?"
Connie Schneider
Mile Bluff Medical Center
Hi Connie:
It is a well documented fact that Employee Wellness Programs benefit both the employer and employee. Decreased absenteeism, more energetic employees, reductions in healthcare costs, increases in employee satisfaction, decreased on-the-job injuries and increases in productivity are all areas that are advantageously affected. These wellness programs have many strategic components designed to ensure a healthy workplace. The program may include nutrition sessions, weight management classes, establishing an employee safety program, health screening for elevated blood pressure and cholesterol, exercise programs, meditation, yoga, walking and physical fitness classes, smoking cessation, and work related stress relieving activities, to name a few. I believe the Safe Lifting Environment campaign fits neatly into this mix as a major component of any employee safety program. Of course, in order to get started you will need to meet the following criteria: ownership from all levels in the company;
a team approach; the establishment of needs and goals; plan development; and a monitoring, evaluation, cultural adjustment, and on-going maintenance agenda.
SafeLiftingPortal.com serves as a convenient starting point for establishing a Safe Lifting Environment. It contains many helpful tips, product synopses, website referrals and much more, all designed to help initiate the safe lifting component of an overall wellness program.
Good luck. Your staff is indeed fortunate to work in an organization that is dedicated to finding ways to improve their lives.
Stay safe,
The Lift Doctor
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