Patient Care: Safe Handling

Course Overview

Back injuries in the healthcare industry account for billions of dollars in workers' compensation costs annually, and musculoskeletal disorders are the leading cause of lost workdays among healthcare workers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that healthcare support occupations - including nursing assistants - have among the highest injury rates of any occupation. Over four decades of research have demonstrated that traditional 'proper body mechanics' training alone is insufficient to prevent injuries from manual patient handling, and that mechanical lifting equipment and organizational safe patient handling programs are necessary to meaningfully reduce injury rates.

This course trains your healthcare staff on a comprehensive approach to safe patient handling that goes beyond body mechanics. The training covers patient mobility assessment, proper use of mechanical lifting devices and transfer aids, team lifting techniques, and organizational strategies for reducing manual handling risks. Your team will learn to evaluate each patient care task for ergonomic risk and select the safest transfer method based on the patient's mobility level, weight, and the specific task being performed.

What You'll Learn

• Musculoskeletal injury risks specific to healthcare patient handling activities
• Patient mobility assessment tools for determining the appropriate level of handling assistance
• Ergonomic principles applied to common patient care tasks including repositioning, transferring, and ambulating
• Proper use of mechanical lift equipment including ceiling lifts, floor lifts, and sit-to-stand devices
• Transfer aids including gait belts, slide sheets, and lateral transfer devices
• Team lifting communication and coordination techniques
• Organizational safe patient handling program elements and reporting procedures

Who Needs This Training

• Registered nurses and licensed practical nurses performing direct patient care
• Certified nursing assistants and patient care technicians in acute and long-term care
• Home health aides providing direct care in residential settings
• Physical and occupational therapy assistants helping patients with mobility
• Emergency department staff managing patient transfers and repositioning
• Healthcare supervisors and charge nurses overseeing patient handling procedures

Regulatory Background