In a recent article published in Medscape Nurses, seven tips for nurses on safe patient handling were discussed. With the current pandemic situation, many nurses are performing additional duties outside of their normal day, such as bundling tasks. The goal, of course, is to assist in preventing the spread of infection by limiting the number of “visits” into a resident room. Totally makes sense- but at what cost?
Many nurses have said they only want to provide good care for their residents; however, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as many as three-quarters of nurses have experienced back injury and pain from working with patients and most of the injuries were recent. Successful safe patient handling programs use engineering, behavioral and/or administrative interventions however, to be effective, all of these programs require nurse involvement not only for adherence but also for self-advocacy.
The article goes into detail about each of the seven tips and can be accessed at the link above:
- In this age of do-it-yourself, don’t
- Know that injury isn’t always from a single event
- Remember body mechanics aren’t enough
- Don’t accept injuries as “part of the job”
- Take the time and space to do it right
- Know where lifts are and how to use them
- Report injuries as soon as possible
During this pandemic, we certainly can’t afford to have a nurse sustain an injury and be unable to provide care. Staffing is a huge concern for all of us and preventing injuries will assist in ensuring you have the staff you need and they are healthy!