Solve these common ergonomics problems
Get your money's worth from devices
Suppose you spent thousands of dollars on new patient handling equipment and your injuries hardly declined. It would be tempting to conclude that the equipment was a waste of money. Why invest in more of the same?
In fact, failures in safe patient handling programs are more often the result of other problems. Fix those errors, and you can discover cost savings and injury reductions.
The "do's" and "don'ts" of ergonomics will be among the topics addressed at the upcoming Safe Patient Handling & Movement Conference organized by the VISN 8 Patient Safety Center of Inquiry at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital in Tampa, FL. (See editor's note for more information on the conference at the end of this article.)
"Just the fact that you purchase equipment isn't going to make things better for you," says Guy Fragala, PhD, senior advisor for ergonomics for the safety center. "You need to purchase the equipment as a part of a comprehensive effort."
Avoid these common problems
Fragala shared some common problems and solutions with Hospital Employee Health:
- Employees think using the equipment is too time-consuming or bothersome.
"You want to simplify work for people, not make it more complicated," he says. "If they think it's going to make it easier and also help the patient, they're going to be more likely to want to use the equipment."
Forget about storing the equipment in a closet. No one wants to leave the patient to hunt for a lift. Fire codes require you to keep the hallways clear, but if you have wide corridors, you may be able to place the equipment along one side.
"Make a provision in your fire plan [so that] in your fire drill you move that equipment when there's a fire alarm," he says.
If you have the luxury of a renovation or new construction, create alcoves to store equipment or shift to ceiling lifts, which allow lifts to be available in individual patient rooms.
- Employees don't know when to use the equipment.
Obviously, you need a good training program to go with your equipment purchase.
"Training is as important, if not more important, than the equipment you select," says Grant Montgomery, business development manager at Sunrise Medical, a medical equipment manufacturer based in Stevens Point, WI. Fragala consults with Sunrise Medical, where he serves as "champion" of the Creating a Safer Environment program.
But beyond the training, you need to develop a protocol for assessing each patient's patient handling needs. That information should be prominent and readily accessible to caregivers, says Fragala.
Those needs must be updated if the patient's condition or mobility changes. Algorithms to help assess those needs are available from the Tampa VA at http://www1.va.gov/visn8/patientsafetycenter/safePtHandling/default.asp.
"People need to view equipment as new tools to help them in the work that they do," says Fragala.
- You don't have enough equipment.
Maybe you wanted to be economical by limiting your equipment purchases. That strategy also limits your effectiveness.
Instead, target your efforts toward units with the higher injury rates and workers' compensation costs.
Evaluate the patients' needs, such as their level of dependency, to make sure you have the right amount of the right kind of equipment, advises Fragala.
As a general rule, you should have one full lift for every 10 patients who would need one, he says. You may need stand-assist lifts for partially dependent patients, and you can buy more friction-reducing lateral transfer devices.
"Because the cost is much less [for the lateral transfer devices], you're probably going to want to have one in each room," he says.
- Employees are excited about the equipment at first, but use drops off.
"To make a program sustainable, you have to have a process for ongoing training," says Fragala.
You may use DVDs (often provided by vendors) combined with annual competency testing for employees to demonstrate their skill in using the equipment, he says. Montgomery recommends some type of refresher training every six to 12 months.
At the Tampa VA, trained Back Injury Resource Nurses (BIRNs) become champions of the safe patient handling program on their units. They are peer leaders who help their colleagues with equipment, patient assessment, and other issues. They also need periodic coaching, feedback, and support.
Vendors of safe patient handling equipment often offer long-term support, including refresher training. In fact, you should evaluate the vendors overall safe patient handling program before you make a purchase, advises Fragala.
"Think of the vendor as more of a partner in developing solutions, someone who's going to provide you with ongoing support to solve these problems," he says. "A lot of vendors now are developing more comprehensive lines as we understand the solution is more than just lifts."
(Editor's note: The Safe Patient Handling and Movement Conference will be held at Disney's Contemporary Resort in Lake Buena Vista, FL, March 12-16, 2007. More information is available at www.cme.hsc.usf.edu/sphm and www.visn8.med.va.gov/patientsafetycenter.)
Suppose you spent thousands of dollars on new patient handling equipment and your injuries hardly declined. It would be tempting to conclude that the equipment was a waste of money. Why invest in more of the same?You have reached your article limit for the month. Subscribe now to access this article plus other member-only content.
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