Have you suffered a patient handling injury?

1 Many of us have experienced injuries on the floor due to patient handling. It is proven that half of all nurses complain of back injury and 1 out of 8 nurses will leave the professional early due to injury. This issue has been improved upon given the push for facilities nation-wide to implement safe patient handling programs however, awareness, education on how to implement a program, and the overall impact of these programs still lack the traction it deserves.

However, this week the national focus on Safe Patient Handling seems to be picking up! NPR began a four part series that addresses the high injury rate for orderlies and nurses in hospitals, and the steps that are being taken to reduce these injuries.

A Dangerous Job - Wednesday, February 4
Nursing is one of the most dangerous jobs in America. With more than 35,000 back and other body injuries each year from lifting and moving patients, nursing assistants and orderlies have higher rates of back injury than construction workers. An NPR investigation from Daniel Zwerdling has found that hospital officials have known how to reduce the often debilitating injuries for years, but have done little to prevent them.
Hospitals Fail To Protect Nursing Staff From Becoming Patients : NPR

Through personal experience I believe that Safe Patient Handling Programs can save nurses careers and keep your patients safe. If you are looking for more information on implementing a program, check out these videos from Stanford Hospital and Clinics on how they moved their program forward. Do you have a story about another facility doing spectacular at Safe Patient Handling?

I would love to hear about your story and how we can work together to spread the awareness about this issue.

Building a Safe Patient Handling Program
Safe Patient Handing: Implementing Your Program - YouTube

Industry Best Practice
Safe Patient Handling: The Lift Coach Model - YouTube