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774 Safe Patient Handling Program
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Getting Started

The components of developing and implementing a safe patient-handling program include assessment, planning, implementation, and evaluation. Not unlike the nursing process, activities of one step can overlap or occur concurrently, and there can be times that it is necessary to back up a step. Members of the team and the leader of the team need to remain focused yet flexible as the steps are accomplished.

Assessment

The basic question that an assessment seeks to answer is this: Is there a problem in the facility? The components of the assessment step include a needs assessment and data analysis.

Collection of Injury Data

  • Gather historical data that includes MSD injuries by department, type of healthcare worker, body part injured, and the root cause of the injury. You should analyze at least one year of data.
  • Collect OSHA recordable injuries. Recordable injuries are injuries that require treatment beyond first aid, restricted, or days away from work.
  • Determine direct and indirect accident costs. In addition to the direct workers compensation insurance costs, there are the indirect or hidden costs related to an injury. These costs include staff accommodation for modified duty, supervisor time, decreased staff morale that decreases productivity, and costs related to replacement workers. Indirect costs have been estimated to be two and a half to four times the direct cost of a claim.
  • Gather other data, including the employee turnover rate and employee population demographics such as age. Human Resources can provide this data.

Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.

2-4. Which of the following is a DIRECT accident cost?

  • Replacement worker costs
  • Modified duty costs
  • Decreased staff morale and productivity
  • Workers' Compensation Insurance