Overexertion and bodily reaction during patient handling are leading causes of injuries among healthcare workers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, these types of injuries contribute to 42% of cases with days away from work for registered nurses and 52% for nursing assistants. Because of this, Cal/OSHA created the Health Care Worker Back and Musculoskeletal Injury Prevention standard in 2014.
While this regulation applies to acute care hospitals, non-acute businesses such as nursing homes, home health agencies, and adult day healthcare centers (ADHCs) can benefit from implementing a similar approach.
Developing a safe patient handling program for your workplace
By using the standard as a guide, you can establish your own proactive approach to ensure your workers perform their duties safely.
Document your plan and procedures. Create a policy that addresses all of the types of patient handling your workers do every day. Hold your workers accountable by including roles, responsibilities, and expectations.
Before providing care, conduct an initial assessment to determine patient’s mobility and need for assistance. This can be done by either the employee or employer, depending on the employer’s business model. By assessing the patient’s needs, workers can identify what techniques, equipment, or types of assistance they need to perform the work safely. After the assessment is complete, let your workers know the handling needs and what required equipment to use.
Invest in the proper assistive equipment. Equipment such as gait belts, slide boards, transfer sheets, and patient lifts can help to reduce the risk of injury to both the healthcare worker and patient. Determine what equipment is most appropriate for the type of services your employees provide and make sure it is available and used.
Develop a plan to address different or unexpected scenarios. Set expectations by documenting and communicating procedures for typical patient handling scenarios employees may encounter. Equally as important is thinking through how you expect your employees to handle situations that aren’t as straightforward. What should they do if the appropriate equipment isn’t available, if they need a second person to assist, if a patient is not cooperating, or if they have identified additional hazards or concerns? Provide the caregivers with guidance on how they should respond (e.g., ask for help, contact supervisor) and empower them to do so without fear of getting into trouble.
Provide training. Train your workers when they first start, after an accident or near miss incident, and/or when a new hazard is discovered. Review the information regularly and provide annual refresher training. Training should be as detailed as possible and can include reviewing your patient handling policy, risk factors, proper techniques, available equipment, and patient communication. Training should cover the types of situations your workers may encounter. Hands-on training and coaching helps ensure workers are able to respond effectively while providing care.
Communicate and involve your workers. Create a workplace where workers can openly talk about the concerns they may have regarding hazards or patient handling tasks. Ask your workers to review and provide feedback on the policies and practices, including specific techniques and equipment.
Investigate injuries. Taking a proactive approach to patient handling reduces the risk of injury for both the caregiver and the patient. If an injury does occur, an accident investigation helps determine the root cause. This is a good time to take a step back, review the specific scenario leading up to the injury, and review the effectiveness of the measures taken. Actively engage with the injured employee to understand what happened and get suggestions about how to prevent a similar injury from happening in the future. This not only benefits the injured employee, but other employees engaged in similar tasks as well.
Injury from handling patients is a real concern among healthcare workers and caregivers. Cal/OSHA’s Health Care Worker Back and Musculoskeletal Injury Prevention standard provides a clear framework on ways to reduce the risk of injury when providing care. While the focus of the standard is acute care hospitals, the straightforward elements and comprehensive approach make it an effective guide for all healthcare employers.
Talk to your workers today about how some elements of the acute care regulation can be incorporated to help them safely do their job. Also, encourage your workers to offer input and suggestions. Creating a program will help reduce the risk of injury when providing care. Open communication and having your healthcare workers discuss their concerns helps reduce the risk of injury so they can perform their job safely while taking care of patients.