Safe Patient Handling & Mobility Program for Healthcare Students
UPDATED ACTUAL Exam Questions and CORRECT Answers
HCW get injured at nearly ________ as other types of workers - twice the rate
#1 cause of lost work days for health techs/orderlies/aides nationwide over the past decade -
manual lifting injuries
over 50 percent of injuries and illnesses reported in 2013 among nursing assistants were
________ - musculoskeletal disorders
why are healthcare workers getting injured at such a high rate? - - sense of urgency and we have
a duty and responsibility to care for our patients that we neglect ourselves
- no use of technology to care for patients
- problem situations are always unpredictable
average weight an average nurse lifts - 1.8 tons in average 8hr shift
what's changed in our work environment since 1997? - - patient body size, shape, & weight have
increased
- shift hours are longer
- patient acuity levels are higher
#1 responsibility of nurse - safety of self, patient, and colleagues (we are change agents)
- if staff not safe, patients not safe
- ex. carrying patient vs. carrying boxes
how physical demands have changed - - 1/2 of American will obese by 2030, if things continue
the way they are now
, - in 2011, 24.4% of adults in the US reported having a disability
200 pound patient x 5 patients x 2 lifts/hour x 8 hours = 16,000 pounds (8 tons)
what is the safe weight limit to manually handle a patient? - 35 lbs. max
- patient handler suffers micro fractures & micro tears when safe weight exceeded (shoulders,
ankles, back, neck, elbow, fingers, knees, feet)
- cumulative trauma & acute trauma
how most patient handling is done - bent or twisted back so the forces are all compression, lateral
or anterior/posterior shear
- shear is caused by twisting and reaching
process of spine loading force safe limits - 3400 N: 1st start to see endplate micro fractures
3400 N to 6400 N: 50% of people expected to develop endplate micro fractures
above 6400 N: more than 50% of people expected to develop endplate micro fractures
- micro fractures > scar tissue development
one vs. 2-patient handlers - none of the lifting techniques would be considered safe to use
because can't control amount of forces being carried and positioning
- all transferring techniques have loads that approached or exceeded the spine tolerances at which
people start to have injuries
pathophysiology of PHM injuries - - discs may be injured by heavy lifting over time without
perception of pain, to a point
- absence of nociceptors in nucleus of disc where injury typically begins
- may be no "warning signs" as injury increases
- severe pain may be first sign of extensive injury reaching nerves in annulus of disc
SPHM on HCW impact - - decreased risk of injury
UPDATED ACTUAL Exam Questions and CORRECT Answers
HCW get injured at nearly ________ as other types of workers - twice the rate
#1 cause of lost work days for health techs/orderlies/aides nationwide over the past decade -
manual lifting injuries
over 50 percent of injuries and illnesses reported in 2013 among nursing assistants were
________ - musculoskeletal disorders
why are healthcare workers getting injured at such a high rate? - - sense of urgency and we have
a duty and responsibility to care for our patients that we neglect ourselves
- no use of technology to care for patients
- problem situations are always unpredictable
average weight an average nurse lifts - 1.8 tons in average 8hr shift
what's changed in our work environment since 1997? - - patient body size, shape, & weight have
increased
- shift hours are longer
- patient acuity levels are higher
#1 responsibility of nurse - safety of self, patient, and colleagues (we are change agents)
- if staff not safe, patients not safe
- ex. carrying patient vs. carrying boxes
how physical demands have changed - - 1/2 of American will obese by 2030, if things continue
the way they are now
, - in 2011, 24.4% of adults in the US reported having a disability
200 pound patient x 5 patients x 2 lifts/hour x 8 hours = 16,000 pounds (8 tons)
what is the safe weight limit to manually handle a patient? - 35 lbs. max
- patient handler suffers micro fractures & micro tears when safe weight exceeded (shoulders,
ankles, back, neck, elbow, fingers, knees, feet)
- cumulative trauma & acute trauma
how most patient handling is done - bent or twisted back so the forces are all compression, lateral
or anterior/posterior shear
- shear is caused by twisting and reaching
process of spine loading force safe limits - 3400 N: 1st start to see endplate micro fractures
3400 N to 6400 N: 50% of people expected to develop endplate micro fractures
above 6400 N: more than 50% of people expected to develop endplate micro fractures
- micro fractures > scar tissue development
one vs. 2-patient handlers - none of the lifting techniques would be considered safe to use
because can't control amount of forces being carried and positioning
- all transferring techniques have loads that approached or exceeded the spine tolerances at which
people start to have injuries
pathophysiology of PHM injuries - - discs may be injured by heavy lifting over time without
perception of pain, to a point
- absence of nociceptors in nucleus of disc where injury typically begins
- may be no "warning signs" as injury increases
- severe pain may be first sign of extensive injury reaching nerves in annulus of disc
SPHM on HCW impact - - decreased risk of injury
