Individual and organizational factors associated with injury history and patient handling behaviors: Results from a nationwide survey of healthcare workers.

With proper compliance, safe patient handling and mobility (SPHM) programs reduce musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). To better understand individual, environmental, and organizational factors associated with both the adoption of SPHM and prevalence of MSDs, a nationwide online survey was administered. 973 healthcare workers (HCWs) completed the survey, for which 59.6% reported past work-related MSDs or pain. Among those with pain or injury, 33.3% changed roles, 79.7% worked while injured, and only 30.9% reported workers' compensation claims. Less than half of HCWs agreed that SPHM equipment is readily available, and most considered manually handling patients weighing over 91 kg acceptable. Equipment availability, ceiling lift availability, supervisor encouragement, and annual training were associated with increased use of SPHM equipment. Availability of SPHM equipment reduced the likelihood of injured nurses changing roles. Despite overall agreement that SPHM programs are beneficial, common clinical practice remains insufficient to adequately protect HCWs from risk of injury.

Exploring the challenges and risks of dead body handling faced by healthcare professionals during the coronavirus pandemic: Cross sectional survey study.

The coronavirus pandemic shocked the already overwhelmed global healthcare system, challenging its preparedness to deal with mass fatalities. Our research examines the safety issues faced by healthcare workers when handling dead (deceased) bodies, highlighting the need for better strategies in the event of mass fatalities. Healthcare providers involved in dead body handling during the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. were eligible to participate in our study. Using a web-based survey, we analyzed responses of 206 participants across 43 U.S. states. We used the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) framework to deduce themes from participants' open-ended responses. The study showed how routine tasks become extraordinarily challenging during pandemic due to increased workload, emotional stress, and resource constraints. Tasks such as lifting and transferring bodies, underscored physical and emotional toll on workers. The mental strain induced by mass fatalities and the complexities of communicating with families and peers were also prominent, adding to the overall burden on healthcare workers. The participants emphasized the importance of specialized training, policy refinements, and improvements in its implementation. In conclusion, our study contributes to understanding the complexities of dead body handling during a pandemic. It underscores the need for emergency response planning and systemic changes in healthcare policies and practices to ensure the safety and well-being of healthcare workers engaged in these critical tasks.

The influence of bed height as a percentage of participant height on low back forces when boosting a patient up in bed.

BACKGROUND: Repositioning patients is a frequent task for healthcare workers causing substantial stress to the low back. Patient handling methodologies that reduce low back load should be used. Some studies have observed the effect of bed height on back forces using a limited range of heights. This study details a wider range. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to discover an optimal bed height for reducing low back force when boosting a patient. METHODS: 11 university students and local residents participated by completing a series of boosts with a 91.6 kg research assistant acting as dependent. The bed was adjusted 3% of participant height and 3 boosts were completed at each height which resulted in 8-10 different bed heights depending on the height of the participant. Motion and force data were collected to estimate low back forces via 3DSSPP. Pearson's R was performed to observe the correlation between caregiver height and low back forces. RESULTS: There were significant negative correlations between bed height and low back compression force at L4-L5 (r = -0.676, p = <0.001) and L5-S1 (r = -0.704, p = <0.001). There were no significant correlations with any shear forces. CONCLUSION: The highest bed height led to decreased low back compression forces regardless of participant height, but there was not a significant difference in shear forces. Thus, healthcare workers may experience less low back stress with the bed at a higher height. There may be a force tradeoff between the low back and other parts of the body that needs further exploration. Healthcare workers need to be made aware of the implications of adjusting the environment when performing patient handling tasks.

Using a Mechanical Lift at Home.

This article is part of a series, Supporting Family Caregivers: No Longer Home Alone, published in collaboration with the AARP Public Policy Institute. Results of focus groups, conducted as part of the AARP Public Policy Institute's No Longer Home Alone video project, supported evidence that family caregivers aren't given the information they need to manage the complex care regimens of family members. This series of articles and accompanying videos aims to help nurses provide caregivers with the tools they need to manage their family member's health care at home. Nurses should read the articles first, so they understand how best to help family caregivers. Then they can refer caregivers to the informational tear sheet-Information for Family Caregivers-and instructional videos, encouraging them to ask questions. For additional information, see Resources for Nurses.

Comparison of caregiver forces required for sliding a patient up in bed using an array of slide sheets.

This study investigated the forces required while performing the common patient handling task of moving a patient up in bed using traditional cotton sheets or friction-reducing slide sheets. Twenty-nine healthy adult participants 18 to 36 years of age were recruited as "patients." Hand forces and lumbar compression and shear forces were calculated on the "caregiver" when performing the repositioning task. Significant differences in lumbar compression and lumbar sagittal shear forces at L4-L5 and at L5-S1 were found among the three sheet types. No difference in peak sum hand force was found between the slide sheets; however, the traditional cotton sheet created the greatest force at the hands and every sheet exceeded the recommended summative hand force of 35 pounds. As such, sliding patients up in bed may contribute to increased risk of musculoskeletal injuries in caregivers.

Riscos ergonômicos para trabalhadores de enfermagem ao movimentar e remover pacientes / Riesgo ergonómico para trabajadores de enfermería al trasladar y mover pacientes / Ergonomic risk for nursing workers in moving and removing patients

Objetivo: mapear os riscos ergonômicos para trabalhadores de enfermagem durante procedimentos de movimentação e remoção de pacientes adultos internados em um hospital universitário. Método: estudo transversal, realizado com 123 pacientes adultosinternados, entre os meses de fevereiro a abril de 2011. Foram coletados dados referentes à caracterização sociodemográfica e aplicada a Escala de Avaliação do Risco naMovimentação e Transporte de Pacientes. Para organizar os dados foi utilizado o programa Excel® e a análise dos dados foi realizada no PASW Statistic, por meio da análisedescritiva. Resultados: obteve-se que 55,3% dos pacientes apresentaram médio e muito risco ergonômico. Das unidades avaliadas, a Terapia Intensiva e Cardiologia Intensiva foramas que apresentaram maiores riscos ergonômicos, com 83,3% dos pacientes classificados com muito risco. Conclusão: medidas para reduzir riscos ergonômicos devem contemplarprogramas de treinamento e capacitação, além de fornecimento de materiais e equipamentos para auxílio na movimentação dos pacientes.

Aim: to map the ergonomic risks for nursing workers when handling and moving adult patients in a university hospital. Method: cross-sectional study involving 123 hospitalized adult patients, between the months of February to April 2011. Data regardingsociodemographic characteristics were collected and the Scale of Risk Assessment in Patient Handling was applied. Excel® software was used for data organization and data analysis wasdeveloped on PASW Statistics, through descriptive statistics. Results: it was found that 55.3% of patients had moderate and high ergonomic risk. From the units evaluated, theIntensive Care Unit and the Intensive Cardiology Unit showed the greatest ergonomic risks, with 83.3% of patients classified as high risk. Conclusion: measures to reduce ergonomic risks should include training and capacity-building programs, as well as supply of materialsand equipment to aid in patients handling.

Objetivo: mapear los riesgos ergonómicos de los trabajadores de enfermería durante los procedimientos para el transporte y la remoción de pacientes adultos ingresadosen un hospital universitario. Método: estudio transversal, realizado con 123pacientes adultos ingresados, entre febrero y abril 2011. Fueron recogidas datos sobre características sociodemográficas y aplicada la Escala de Evaluación de Riesgos en elMovimiento y Transporte de Pacientes. Para organizar los datos fue utilizado el programa Excel®, y el análisis se realizó con el programa PASW Statistics, mediante uso deestadística descriptiva. Resultados: se encontró que 55,3% de pacientes tenían medio y mucho riesgo ergonómico. De las unidades evaluadas, Cuidados Intensivos y CardiologíaIntensiva mostraron mayores riesgos ergonómicos, con 83,3% de pacientes clasificados como de riesgo muy alto. Conclusión: las medidas para reducir riesgos ergonómicos debenincluir programas de capacitación y suministro de materiales y equipos para ayudar en el movimiento de pacientes.