Safety of health providers in the physical handling of patients in nursing care

Abstract

Abstract One of the priorities during patient handling is ensuring the safety of both the patient and the staff. Safe handling can be ensured with correct and appropriate use of handling equipment, proper staffing, and proper staff training with regard to patient handling. The present-day patient handling techniques and practices do not reflect the desired goals in this area in our country. Nursing staff and other healthcare workers are exposed to many health risks as part of their duties. The work is often monotonous, performed in awkward postures, or under conditions that fail to meet ergonomic principles. Low back injury is a significant health problem that needs to be addressed not only in hospitals but also in workplaces nationwide. The standard approach deals with risks and preventions through education, more suitable work conditions, additional staffing, and evaluation of lifting situations and the development of patient handling protocols, which should be administered by top management and ward management. The healthcare community needs to strive to implement standards for patient handling and moving that put the health and safety of healthcare providers on the same level as the health and safety of patients. To that end, our internal multidisciplinary research team has created a research project to address this issue with the intention of implement new handling and moving techniques in to the practice.

Keywords

• Musculoskeletal system
• physical handling
• injury
• patient
• nurse
• education