Many nurses believe that utilizing proper body mechanics while lifting and moving a patient can help prevent injuries from occurring. The truth is that there’s not an exact safe manual for lifting plus, during the rush of a busy day for nurses or other healthcare workers, even if the most suitable body mechanics are used on a specific situation, manually lifting, turning, or transferring patients can often result with injuries to the spine. The effects of an injury might not occur immediately, but the constant overexertion on the structures of the spine can eventually aggravate an injury further and lead to a debilitating condition.
Musculoskeletal injuries, also referred to as ergonomic or overexertion injuries, are common among workers in all healthcare settings, from acute care hospitals to long-term care and ambulatory facilities. Nurses, nurses’ aides, orderlies, and attendants frequently experience these type of injuries at a much higher rate than the general population of workers, even more than those who work in construction, mining, and manufacturing settings.
Nurses are a valuable element in healthcare work settings and just as important as their jobs are towards providing the best care for patients, providing the best resources and equipment to prevent musculoskeletal injuries on healthcare workers is also equally as important. With less nurses experiencing these type of injuries, better and more efficient medical care can be offered for individuals in need. For more information, please feel free to ask Dr. Jimenez or contact us at (915) 850-0900.Â