Nurses is one profession who have susceptible getting low back pain under their daily activity if they don't take care . The daily activity such as , bed making, turning bed-ridden patients, transferring among stretchers, beds and chairs, move patients from bed to wheelchair, indeed if the patient was unconscious, emergency cases, nurses ignore doing safety to their self for example nurses who work in emergency department and ICU who all patients are high dependent attention and fast action from nurses, so some time they didn't care to their safety first because they want to safe to the patients of life.Nurses must have knowledge to understand about safety procedure how to doing manual handling in the hospital area or safety officer department must be control to nurses activity with safety procedures, without knowledge and safety control injuries and back pain cases come out lead.Dr.Edgar Viera, a doctoral student in the University of Alberta Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine said,"Nurses suffer from work-related low back pain more often than workers in other professions. It is point out number of nurses suffering back pain is still high, why? Do you still lets your safety away? did you think that safety is number two, doing something with safety first to save your life comfortin the future.
Related to the study of back pain factors above here some way to reduce nurses back pain when they are doing activities in Hospital as following:
- Using lifting assistance devices
- Gait belt: This is a special belt that fit snugly around the patients waist and has hand starsp for the nurse or caregiver to grasp while assisting during transfers or walking.
- Walkers: Lightweight metal frame devices with rails that can be gripped by the patient to help to support their body weight during transfer and rising from sitting.
- Rails: Wooden or metal rails are fixed to walls or equipment , such as beds, to allow the patient to help to support their body weight during transfer.
- 'Hoyer' Lifts: A hydraulic lift that consists of a metal frame and a heavy canvas swing. It is capable of lifting and suspending a patient for transfer.
- Sliding boards: A smooth board with tapered ends made of either wood or plastic that is used to help someone get from one sitting surface to another.
- Draw/lift sheets: A regular flat sheet placed under a patient in the bed can be used to move them. If the sheet is strong enough it can also be used to lift and transfer the patient.
- Using appropriate equipment: There is a choice of powered equipment available to reduce patient handling activities, such as powered beds to change a patient's posture, height adjustable chairs, and powered wheelchairs.
- Use appropriate beds: The height of the bed determines how much bending and reaching a nurse has to do. Nurse are different heights, so a simple to operate, height-adjustable bed is important to allow bed height to be appropriately adjusted to the nurse.
- Use back belt: use back belt when lift a patient with heavy weight to prevent your back bone from injury or dislocation
- Implement regular maintenance procedures: Equipment must be keep in good working order so anytime will be ready to be use.
A variety of devices is available to help lift and move patients from bed to seat, such as:
Other safety support is important also included:
- Ergonomic design of workplaces: Use architectural and design features, such as rails or ramps, to minimize awkward movements.
- Providing better ergonomic training: Train nurses and health aides in good work posture and ways of minimizing twisting, bending and/or lifting items from the floor. Also train them in safe lifting practices, and in the correct use of appropriate equipment. Provide ways os refreshing and reinforcing the training.
- Provide adequate staffing: Injury risk can be reduced by increasing the number of people available to assist with lifting patients.
- Systematic record-keeping: Implement processes that facilitate more detailed statistic on manual handling activities and outcome so that this can help to identify injury trends before more serious incidents occur.
