Safe patient handling and mobility is a crucial aspect of nursing that directly impacts patient care and the well-being of healthcare providers. Nurses play a vital role in ensuring that patients are transferred, repositioned, and mobilized safely to prevent injuries and promote recovery. With the right strategies and techniques in place, nurses can significantly reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injuries and improve patient outcomes.
Safe patient handling and mobility (SPHM) helps to prevent injuries and work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs or MSDs), making it important for all healthcare providers and their employers to be clear on proper patient handling techniques to prevent injuries and maintain long-term safety.
Key Benefits of Improved Patient Handling and Mobility
When a patient is in a nurse’s care, they may need to be moved, rolled, or lifted for any number of reasons. But, moving a patient can be unsafe for healthcare professionals if done improperly.
Ergonomic injuries, which are injuries to the muscles, tendons, and ligaments, are often caused by working in awkward positions or by completing repetitive activities that lead to injuries and pain over time. Both repetitive motions and overexertion are common causes of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), which can affect healthcare professionals at a higher rate than those in other fields.
Reviewing the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2018), it was shown that there were 900,380 days away from work (DAFW) across U.S. occupations that year. Of those, 272,780 were related to MSDs. In healthcare and social assistance programs, the number of days away was 56,360; that’s more than in any other surveyed industry in the private sector.
Funneling down even further, the BLS found that nursing assistants and registered nurses had high rates of time away from work related to musculoskeletal disorders. For nursing assistants, 15,360 missed approximately seven days of work that year due to MSDs. A total of 8,390 registered nurses missed approximately eight days of work due to MSDs.
And while some people may suggest that age plays a role in when someone could get hurt on the job, that’s only partially true. Most MSD cases in the U.S. in 2018 (65,720) happened to those between the ages of 45 and 54. However, those between 25 to 34 and 35 to 44 also suffered injuries at high rates (57,690 and 58,660 cases, respectively).
The statistics keep reflecting what is casually known to be true: The job can be hazardous. According to the American Nurses Association, 65% of nurses reported that the risks from falls, repositioning patients, and lifting patients were significant health concerns. And, of those surveyed, 58% reported that they had musculoskeletal disorders that caused them pain while at work.
Looking at these statistics alone, it is clear that improving patient handling techniques is important to protect nurses and other healthcare providers. Not all healthcare facilities have the most current technologies, such as lift equipment, to support nurses in providing care to patients, so it is critical to know what works best in your current workplace.
Why a Safe Patient Handling and Mobility Program Matters
Using safe patient handling and mobility (SPHM) programs within a healthcare facility introduces some key benefits for all healthcare providers working with patients but particularly for the nurses who are with them most often. Additionally, this kind of program can help with patient safety, encouraging proper lifting, reducing injuries, and ensuring the risk of falls is lowered.
Some benefits of safe patient handling include:
- Reducing injuries from using improper or proper body mechanics. According to the ANA, even using “proper” body mechanics is no replacement for the safe patient handling and mobility technologies available today. Research shows that relying on proper body mechanics alone doesn’t reduce injuries effectively.
- Improving patient safety. When using safe patient handling and mobility technology, nurses can more easily move and adjust patients, ensuring neither party is injured. Additionally, manual lifting is known to lead to issues such as falls, skin tears, and other injuries to patients. Using SPHM technology reduces the risk.
Best Practices for Safe Patient Handling
With insight into why safe patient handling is so vital in healthcare facilities, it’s also a good idea to learn about the best practices for safe patient handling and how they can be implemented in the workplace. Nurses and employers can stay safer by:
- Getting to know the current technologies available. There are tools that can help with lifting, repositioning, and transferring patients. If and when there is an accessible assisted lifting device available, nurses should opt to use that tool. Even if a patient appears light or it could take more time to use the machinery than not, this technology is designed to keep both nurses and patients safer and reduce the risk of injuries.
- Training on how to use SPHM technology. Assistive lifting devices and other technology can take time to learn. It’s important for employers and those working within a healthcare setting to train on how to properly use these devices.
- Promoting the use of SPHM tools. If a team member usually avoids using a tool, employers or nurses who are familiar with the technology can discuss why it’s a good idea to use it and how it works.
- Encouraging or implementing a safe patient lifting program. Not all healthcare facilities have an SPHM program. Nurses and staff members, as well as employers, can make a change in the field by pushing for and implementing a program that focuses on safety in the workplace.
SHC Supports Our Healthcare Professionals
SHC is committed to providing the information our nurses and healthcare professionals need to support quality patient care. It is our goal to support you as you work with patients, encouraging improved safety practices and providing guidance to help you provide the quality care your patients deserve.
To learn more about SHC or find a new role through our network, search open roles here.
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