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Injury Prevention "A Win-WIn" Approach
5/17/2007
During the past decade, the injury rate among health care workers has skyrocketed. The vast majority of serious injuries are related to patient handling. The reason is two-fold; patients are becoming heavier and caregivers are aging. The average age of nurses is approaching fifty years old. The strain associated with repetitive lifting and repositioning has left the average caregiver vulnerable to fatigue and injury to the back, shoulders, and neck.
The result is poor morale, lost time, higher turnover, and ever increasing worker’s compensation premiums. The average back injury results in $8,000-$10,000 in direct costs. Indirect or “soft costs” can be three to ten times greater.
What have we done about it?
The average nursing home has purchased a few lifts and told their employees to use them. This “solution” may have had a short-term impact on injuries, but chances are, the caregivers reverted to their old way of doing things. Why? Because they were not fully aware of the risks they were taking and they wanted to get the job done as quickly as possible. There was no real commitment from management to ensure that they were using the equipment.
What should we do about it?
A comprehensive approach is needed to achieve real reduction in injuries. An effective Injury Prevention Program (IPP) encompasses not only patient transfer equipment, but also strict policies, training, and repeated compliance audits. A commitment from upper management is absolutely critical. A thorough policy and procedure manual must be created and adherence to it is mandatory.
Equipment is not limited to mechanical lifts and sit-to-stands. There are simple items such as gait belts and transfer sheets that can have dramatic effects.
Whatever equipment is chosen, it is only as effective as the policies/procedures and training that goes with it. A training program should start with a “buy-in” to educate staff on the risks of manually handling patients, and convince them that this program is in their best interest. An experienced trainer knowledgeable in ergonomics, armed with injury statistics is very important to create this buy-in. Breaking old habits is the most difficult part of an IPP, but it can and must be done.
After policies and equipment are in place, the buy-in is created, and staff is fully trained, the next step is regular compliance auditing. Staff should be monitored and deviation from policy should be addressed.
What are the results?
By implementing a complete program like the one outlined above, a facility can realize immediate, dramatic results. It is not unusual to realize a 75%-100% reduction in patient transfer related injuries. This translates to a dramatic reduction in worker’s compensation costs.
An Injury Prevention Program can truly provide a win-win solution. The facility, the employees, and the patients all benefit. The key is finding an experienced provider of these types of solutions that you can trust to become part of your team. This is not something that can be effectively accomplished alone. The good news is that the resulting reduction in costs usually offsets the cost of the program. Now that is a win-win.
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