Improving Patient Safety and Nursing Care Utilizing Safe Patient Handling Devices

Abstract

Injury to patients and nurses who utilize manual lifting and transfer techniques is a significant problem in today’s healthcare environment. Nurses suffer injuries from manual patient handling, which can lead to career limiting/ending injuries for nurses. The purpose of this project was to gain a better understanding of the front line nurse experience in the clinical setting today and determine what leads them to utilize workarounds in the care of the patient. The goals were to identify best practice evidence through research and use the evidence to improve the utilization of safe patient handling (SPH) equipment and devices. Establish a culture that embraces the use of the SPH program. Reduce injuries to patients and clinicians through elimination of manual handling techniques. The objectives were to use nursing focus groups, structured observations and a questionnaire to determine what change was needed to decrease injuries and increase utilization of the SPH program, review systems and processes that hinder a safe working environment and discover the complexities nurses face in patient care setting. Thereby gaining a better understanding of nursing knowledge levels and knowledge deficits that prohibit appropriate SPH equipment use and identification of obstacles that prohibit lifting and transferring patients safely. Evaluation methods included equipment usage and a decrease in musculoskeletal injuries related to the use of proper body mechanics and lifting techniques with SPH equipment and devices. Without the completion of this project, the future clinical would be continued incidence of manual handling injuries, lost and restricted work days and continued avoidable costs to patients, nurses, and the organization.%%%%D.N.P., Nursing Practice – Drexel University, 2016