Results of Last Month's Poll Question

In today’s economic climate, what would YOU say to a reluctant administrator to encourage investment in safe lifting equipment and an injury prevention program?

Read the results here.

From the Reading Room

NATIONAL PATIENT HANDLING BILL – STATUS REPORT

A bill that was introduced in 2006 to decrease the stress on nurses’ backs is being reintroduced by U.S. Representative John Conyers Jr. (D-MI), the same Representative who introduced it originally.

The new bill is entitled The Nurse and Health Care Worker Protection Act of 2009 (H.R. 2381). It requires OSHA to develop and implement a standard to eliminate manual lifting of patients by direct-care registered nurses and other health care workers through the use of mechanical devices. The legislation also requires health care facilities to develop a plan to comply with the standard (with input from RNs), provides protection for RNs through refusal of assignment and whistleblower provisions and requires the Secretary of Labor to perform audits.

To view the entire bill, please click here and search “Bill Number” for “H.R. 2381”

ANA Launches Nurse Safe Lifting Recognition Program for Hospitals

The American Nurses Association (ANA) has launched a program designed to spotlight safe patient handling practices in hospitals, ANA SmartBrief reports. The ANA's Handle with Care Recognition Program will honor health care facilities that have successfully implemented a safe patient handling program aimed at reducing the risk of injuries to nurses when lifting, repositioning or moving patients.

“Repositioning Revisited” – A Reader Offers Her Suggestions

Lori Stacy, RN, of the College of St. Catherine, St. Paul, MN, recently submitted the following comments: “While reviewing the material you sent, I was troubled by the lack of information about repositioning a patient “up in bed.” This is a task performed multiple times each day by nurses. Most of the nurses I have spoken to do not realize that this task is a “high risk” for back injury. I would like to see more information made available about the risks of this one little task. I believe it would make it easier for all nurses to ask for additional help and equipment if more people were informed.” Click here to read Lori’s submitted article, “Reducing Back Injuries Caused by Repositioning Patients Up in Bed.”

If you would like to submit a story, article or comment, please email Melissa.nowitz@hill-rom.com.

Recommendations for Turning Patients with Orthopaedic Impairments

Nurses and other caregivers face high risk for developing work-related musculoskeletal disorders associated with turning (logrolling) patients with orthopaedic conditions. The task is considered high risk based on a combination of weight limits and awkward positioning. A task force developed an ergonomic tool for determining best practices for safe patient turning. Scientific evidence, concepts of ergonomic safety, and safe patient handling equipment were incorporated into this ergonomic tool.

APTA, OSHA Focus on Work-Related MSDs, Safe Patient Handling in Midwest

Reducing and preventing injuries among physical therapists and other health care employees is the goal of a regional alliance between OSHA and the American Physical Therapy Association. The alliance will operate in six Midwestern states: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Michael Connors, OSHA's regional director in Chicago, said the cooperative effort will focus on the prevention of work-related musculoskeletal disorders and the safe handling of patients.