Implementing a Culture of Safety for Safe Patient Handling

Purpose:
This presentation will identify how one acute care academic medical center implemented and evaluated an evidence based program to sustain a culture of safety for safe patient handling.

Significance:
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, health care workers have had one of the highest recordable rates and incidence of musculoskeletal injuries since 1999. With the demand for registered nurses increasing, organizations and the country can't afford to lose nurses to job related injuries.

Strategy and Implementation:
A multi-component safe patient handling program was chosen as a strategy for implementing a change in culture. Program components include: • state of the art equipment for patient handling; • education and training on risk assessment, patient assessment and equipment; • unit based ergonomic assessment; • patient handling assessment criteria; • policy on safe patient handling; • visible support from leadership; • unit based program champions; • providing after action event reviews; and • using data to analyze effectiveness of the program. The project is implemented in various phases: awareness, assessment, education and implantation/sustainability. One unit was selected as an early adopter unit, followed by roll out to other patient care areas. After only 5 months of implementation on the pilot unit, there was an 87% reduction in days away from work and a 100% reduction in restricted days.

Evaluation:
Evaluation of program outcomes include the NDNQI RN survey question for having enough help to lift/move, direct costs and lost work days related to patient handling. Process indicators of documentation on use of equipment is monitored and validated by observation of patient handling tasks.

Implications for Practice:
Sustained changes in practice require changes in unit culture by continually reviewing process and outcome indicators. Keys to success include unit based champions who with the support of leadership help to assure changes in how common patient handling tasks are performed.