Nurses, nursing assistants, and other caregivers who lift and transfer patients are at a high risk of back injuries. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, their rate of back injuries is much higher than the rate across all occupations. Back injuries are also among the most common reasons why those working in the nursing industry miss work.
These injuries can affect a worker’s overall quality of life. In addition to the physical pain and discomfort, there may be emotional and financial impacts as well.
How to prevent back injuries for healthcare workers
Plan and communicate
It is imperative to plan and prepare when handling patients. Healthcare workers must take time to assess the patient and the environment. Follow these steps when preparing to handle a patient.
- Assess the patient to check their status and medical condition, including physical and cognitive level. Ask a colleague for assistance if needed.
- After assessing the patient, determine the equipment needed. Examples of equipment are draw sheets, transfer mats, gait belts, slide boards, wheelchair, fixtures, etc.
- Organize the equipment used to ensure safe completion of the task. Lock the wheels of wheelchairs and/or beds. Arrange the equipment as close to each other as possible. Remove clutter and clear a pathway.
- Communicate the plan to the patient. Let them know how to assist by giving simple, clear, verbal instructions. Continue communicating with the patient until the transfer is complete.
Use good body mechanics
Body mechanics are how someone moves their muscles, bones, and joints. In order to prevent an injury, your employees want to move efficiently and safely especially when lifting, repositioning, and transferring patients. To help remember key tips for safe patient handling, remember the acronym, BACK, which stands for:
- Back straight
- Avoid twisting
- Close to body
- Keep feet shoulder width apart
It is important to keep the back straight and use the legs. Caregivers should point their leading foot in the same direction they’ll be turning to avoid twisting their back. Caregivers also need to keep the patient close to their own body to make it easier to maneuver and lift. They also need to keep their feet shoulder width apart for stability.
Train and practice
There should be a safe patient handling plan in place based on the patient’s physical and mental conditions, as well as the availability of lifting equipment and/or lift teams. In order to plan properly, your employees should take the time to become familiar with the assistive devices that are available. It’s a best practice to provide comprehensive training to all staff responsible for handling patients and supervised hands-on practice on proper body mechanics for repositioning, transferring, and lifting patients with and without assistive devices. Management support and regular refresher training help ensure maximum effectiveness.
To prevent a back injury when handling patients, caregivers need to understand and incorporate the elements of planning and preparing, assistive equipment, and proper body mechanics. Make sure your employees take the time to properly plan and prepare to lift or move a patient. This can help reduce and possibly eliminate the risk of back injury.