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One of
the fields that is most closely monitored and educated in regards to
safety is nursing. This group consistently comes in at the top of the
charts when reporting for work-related illness and injury. There are 3
basic avenues to which nurse safety is routinely being improved:
nursing school, legislation (passing bills on hospital requirements),
and evolving ergonomics. Of those, the one that can be implemented the
fastest is ergonomics. More and more hospitals are taking it upon
themselves to strive for the best equipment and safest environment. A
hospital in Connecticut stays current on ergonomic training and
equipment with the goal of being the safest hospital in the state. A
hospital with that kind of ranking would have an easier time attracting
both staff and patients than those without. Let’s look at some of the
ways hospitals improve safety for their staff.
- Devices that lift: nurses
spend much of their day lifting, whether it’s objects or people. The
heavier of the two is clearly the latter, but both take their tolls on
the body. There are several kinds of lifts designed to transfer and
lift patients. Some still require some manual labor while others are
completely mechanized. Hospitals following a "no lift" policy find that
the frequency, intensity, and recovery time of work-related injury is
significantly reduced when all lifting is mechanized. Lifting solutions
also exist for other kinds of lifting nurses have to do. Motorized
equipment can help carry and move objects as well as empty receptacles
and complete other repetitive tasks that require lifting, bending, and
twisting.
- Devices to push and pull:
nurses rarely show up to a patient empty-handed. Their job often
requires moving large carts that vary in weight. Most carts are not
designed for specific individuals, meaning the height of the handle is
standard. This can make as big a difference in how pushing and pulling
affects the body as does the weight of the cart. Cart designs that
solve this problem range from adjustable handles and shelves to
motorized carts that eliminate the stress of pushing and pulling
completely.
- Devices that spare distance:
nurses are on their feet throughout their entire shift. Add to that the
fact that most are working varied hours or double shifts, and you can
guess what their energy levels must be like at work. Devices or
equipment that allow for workstations to be centralized or portable can
save staff a lot of extra walking. A few steps may not seem like a big
deal, but it all adds up; a few steps spared as often as possible is
equal to less fatigue and greater focus on other things.
Researching
ergonomic equipment for hospitals is interesting because of the variety
of equipment. Researching the success of ergonomics in hospitals is
exciting because it shows not only a high success rate of reducing
injuries, but consequently, also a return on the investment. If your
hospital has updated ergonomic equipment for nurses, you are likely to
be in the hands of a nurse who experiences less pain and fatigue than
those in hospitals without the equipment. The better the healthcare
professional is taken care of, the better you are taken care of.
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