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Many nurses believe that utilizing proper body mechanics
while lifting and moving a patient can help prevent injuries from occurring.
The truth is that there’s not an exact safe manual for lifting plus, during the
rush of a busy day for nurses or other healthcare workers, even if the most
suitable body mechanics are used on a specific situation, manually lifting,
turning, or transferring patients can often result with injuries to the spine. The
effects of an injury might not occur immediately, but the constant overexertion
on the structures of the spine can eventually aggravate an injury further and
lead to a debilitating condition.
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Musculoskeletal
injuries, also referred to as ergonomic or overexertion injuries, are common
among workers in all healthcare settings, from acute care hospitals to
long-term care and ambulatory facilities. Nurses, nurses’ aides, orderlies, and
attendants frequently experience these type of injuries at a much higher rate
than the general population of workers, even more than those who work in
construction, mining, and manufacturing settings.
For nurses, the majority of sprains and strains to the neck,
shoulders, and lower back occur during patient handling tasks, such as
transferring patients from bed to a chair or commode and repositioning patients
in bed. Nonetheless, the load implicated to nurses when lifting and
transferring patients is not the only cause for injuries. Tasks that involve
bending motions over a patient, such as bathing, performing procedures, or
pushing wheelchairs and gurneys, are also known contributors for overexertion
injuries in nurses and other healthcare workers. Working on a standing position
for extended periods of time can also cause muscle strains and other types of
injuries as well. Consequently, even healthcare workers whom don’t engage in
regular lifting or moving tasks for patients can eventually experience some
form of back or neck pain.
The issue with musculoskeletal injuries occurring on nurses
in the first place can be accounted to the increase of aging and overweight
patient population, although in many settings, nurses also lack the appropriate
tools needed to safely lift and transfer immobile patients. A survey of
critical care nurses revealed that less than one half of employers supplied
patient lifting equipment. In addition, injury rates were much higher when
lifting equipment was not available. While good physical conditioning can be an
effective way to help reduce or prevent musculoskeletal injuries, nurses who
are capable of lifting and moving patients more easily may receive these type
of tasks more frequently than other nurses, unfortunately providing a higher
risk of injury due to overexertion.
The elimination of unsafe patient handling has been a long
term goal of the American Nurses Association, or ANA. A professional group of
experts was recently developed by ANA to thoroughly check the issue of safe
patient handling and mobility among healthcare workplaces. A set of national overarching
standards was developed as a result of the evaluation in order to determine
what was required to implement a safe patient handling and mobility program in
all healthcare settings, Safe Patient Handling and Mobility.
Adam Sachs of the American Nurses Association stated, “We
can’t afford to lose nurses to preventable injuries at a time wen more people
are able to access healthcare services.” One of the core principles outlined in
the standards document is investment in safe patient handling technology as
well as locating in conveniently, and making sure the staff is well trained on
how to use it. “Safe patient handling technology isn’t important just of
keeping staff healthier,” said Sachs, “It also preserves the dignity of
patients. It’s awkward and embarrassing when it takes a dozen people to move a
morbidly obese patient.”
Nurses are a valuable element in healthcare work settings
and just as important as their jobs are towards providing the best care for
patients, providing the best resources and equipment to prevent musculoskeletal
injuries on healthcare workers is also equally as important. With less nurses
suffering from these type of injuries, better and more efficient medical care
can be offered for your loved ones in need.
By Dr. Alex Jimenez
