According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Nurses and Nursing Aides experience higher rates of non-fatal injuries than construction workers. It sounds incredible but statistics bear this out:
Main sources of these injuries:
Almost half of all injuries are related to Overexertion and Bodily Reaction, which includes bending, lifting and reaching and is focused chiefly on people who have "hands-on" patient responsibilities. These kinds of injuries are closely-related to patient handling and are often centered around patient falls or patient transport.
4 Steps to Reducing Injuries to Hospital and Long Term Care Workers:
Proper Training for Patient Handling - These programs should include having enough equipment available for staff, which can range from ceiling-mounted lifts to slide sheets for lateral transfers.
Proper Staffing - If there is not enough staff available, extra pressure will be put on too few people, which can be very dangerous for the staff. This situation is exacerbated by the climbing obesity rates in our country.
Analytics - Data must be taken and reviewed to learn when and where most of these injuries are occurring. Can changes be made to fix these issues?
Fall Management - The situation is much worse when a patient has already fallen. The sense of urgency to help the patient off the floor is increased which puts more pressure on the staff.
We all know how demanding nursing can be so helping fix the physical risks associated with nursing is critical as our aging population requires care in the coming years. Many nurses want to continue their careers but find the physical challenges to be too daunting. Making some of these adjustments should add longevity to their careers so they will be able to continue to do what they love doing.
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