St. Luke's Hospital wins accolades

St. Luke's Hospital, Duluth, MN, has received a 2010 award for safe lifting excellence sponsored by the Safe Lifting Portal. In 2003 the 267 bed facility formed a committee to study patient handling injuries, and in 2007 the hospital embarked on a phased implementation of safe patient handling practices and equipment. According to Brett Osborne, director of rehab services, “…not only have we benefitted the patients through the ability to handle them in a safer manner, but we help the staff as well, and at the end of the day that’s who takes care of our patients and that's what we're about as an organization.” In the words of Lauri Bauman, RN, nurse manager, “I love it when we can find a good solution to a problem that doesn’t have a downside to it!” Go here to see 3-minute excerpts from the video field report or to order a copy of the full 14-minute report.

Take our January Poll

Infection Control

1. Who in your facility is responsible for cleaning and sanitizing lifts?
   
   
2. Are lifts and associated hardware cleaned between patient usages, or periodically?
   
   
3. Are slings and other soft goods such as slide sheets laundered internally or externally?
   
   
4. Are caregiver staff familiar with your facility's sanitary procedures and requirements for patient handling equipment?

Focus on International

Determinants of implementation of primary preventive interventions on patient handling in health care: a systematic review (The Netherlands)

This study's authors performed a systematic review to assess barriers and facilitators for implementation of primary preventive interventions aimed at patient handling in health care. Find out more about the study's methodology and results here.

A Case for Legislative Change in Safe Patient Handling in South Africa

According to this article’s author, safer patient handling is not simply a matter of learning some new techniques and then training others about their use. It starts with changing mindsets of individuals to realize the importance of good practice, not only for their own sake, but also for the sake of those for whom they care. (To accomplish this) a new post is required -- One of Hospital Moving and Handling Coordinator (HMHC). This person needs to be trained to an exceptionally high standard in identifying hazards and risk assessment relating to safer patient moving and handling. They should have authority to implement the required changes to systems of work, and also the enthusiasm to be able to encourage and manage change without resorting to disciplinary procedures. Read the full article here.

Manual handling assessments in hospitals and the community – An RCN Guide (UK)

How do you avoid assessments becoming a useless paper exercise? How much should be done in writing and what forms should be used? This Royal College of Nursing Guide gives practical advice to all those with responsibility for staff ’s back care. This includes everyone from senior managers to moving and handling coordinators, back care advisers, occupational health departments and health and safety advisers. Visit here.

From the Reading Room…

Sustainable Patient Handling Programs

Research has shown SPH benefits include increases in caregiver job satisfaction, decreases in “unsafe” patient-handling practices performed, and reports of significant reductions in staff turnover. In other words, evidence is mounting that SPH programs are successful in decreasing:

• Patient-handling worker’s compensation injury rates by 30-95 percent
• Lost workday injury rates by 66-100 percent
• Restricted workdays up to 38 percent
• Worker’s compensation costs by 30-75 percent
• Insurance premiums by as much as 50 percent

Implementing a Safe Patient Handling and Movement Program in a Rehabilitation Setting (A Pennsylvania Patient Safety Advisory)