Creating & Maintaining a Culture of Safety: Safe Patient Handling in Acute Care Jacki Chechile, PT, MSPT Beth Christensen, PT, DPT Meghan Church, PT, DPT Danielle Nugent, PT, DPT February 18, 2017 Objectives • Comprehend quality improvement efforts for creating and maintaining culture change for safe patient handling and analyze applicability to your work environment • Understand importance of infrastructure for safe patient handling programs to engage all stake holders in creating a safe working environment • Identify ways to use safe patient handling equipment to achieve rehabilitation goals Disclosure Statement • Disclosure of Interest • No members of this presentation or the institutions we work for have received remuneration or have a financial arrangement with any product discussed • Written consent was obtained from all patients or their HCPs for video and photos Overview • Evidence Supporting Safe Patient Handling • Safe Patient Handling at BIDMC • Achieving Culture Change • Safe Patient Handling for Rehabilitation • Future goals Evidence Supporting Safe Patient Handling What is Safe Patient Handling (SPH)? • “The use of assistive devices to ensure that patients can be mobilized safely and that care providers avoid performing high-risk manual patient handling tasks. Using the devices reduces a care provider’s risk of injury and improves the safety and quality of patient care” (VA, 2016) • Body mechanics • Thinking BEFORE doing (OSHA, 2016) Why is SPH Important? Cumulative Effects of Manual Patient Handling • Research done by NIOSH revealed that healthcare providers develop microfractures to their vertebral endplates when lifting more than 35 lbs (Waters 2007) NO NERVE CUMULATIVE MICRO- NUTRIENTS TO DISC ATROPHY IMPINGEMENT LIFTING FRACTURES DISC & INJURY NIOSH Recommendations • Recommend a 35lb maximum weight limit for handling patients when: • Patient follows commands • Patient is not combative • Amount of weight lifted can be estimated • Lifting is smooth and slow • Relatively constant position of caregiver’s body and hands in relation to the patient • Recommended lifting limit should be LESS than 35lbs if these conditions are not met Cumulative Effects of Manual Patient Handling • “93% men, heavily tattooed, macho workforce, Harley- Davidson rider type guys. And they were prohibited from lifting over 35 pounds through the course of their work.” (Zwerdling, 2015)