Whether in a hospital or a nursing home, patient repositioning is a necessary yet difficult job for nurses. Not only are healthcare workers at risk for injuring themselves when performing these duties, they can also harm patients with improper moving techniques and devices.
Here are the most common complaints by nurses about patient repositioning:
The act of lifting patients or bending over for patient handling is often linked to overexertion injuries. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), overexertion and bodily reaction is the No. 1 cause of injury among hospital workers, accounting for almost half of these incidents. These injuries are typically musculoskeletal in nature, such as sprains and strains, with hurt healthcare workers having to take time off of the job. Nurses and nursing assistants made up the bulk of the 16,680 cases reported where workers missed work due to musculoskeletal injury from patient handling or related incidents.
The physical demand of the job of patient handling also puts patients at risk for falls and other injuries. In cases of manual lifting, lack of proper handling can lead to patient fractures, bruises and skin tears, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) notes. The rise of obesity in the general population as well as the increase in age of the overall healthcare workforce will likely also result in a higher risk of these injuries for nurses.
Hospitals and other healthcare environments are increasingly implementing patient handling tools and other resources to support appropriate patient repositioning. However, many nurses still do not have access to the instruments and training needed to reduce healthcare injuries and improve patient safety.
Challenges involved in patient handling include:
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