Federal Regulations to Protect Healthcare Workers from Injuries Resulting from Manually Moving PatientsMHI 550Mark MarshallHealthcare and innovation policy

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Why we need this policyDo you think you're more likely to get injured working in construction or healthcare?

In 2011 American workers in the healthcare occupations had an overexertion injury rate twice the average of all other industries (CDC, 2015).

The majority of these injuries come from manual moving, lifting or repositioning patients.

The policy I am proposing would require all hospitals to transition over time to becoming a no-lift hospital. This policy would eliminate the hazard of moving patients manually and reducing injuries among healthcare workers. Eleven states currently have enacted safe patient handling laws.Of those, tenstates requirea comprehensive program in health care facilitiesin which there is established policy, guidelines for securing appropriate equipment and training, collection of data, and evaluation (ANA, 2014). Policy Description and Historical Development

The ANA is a professional nursing organization that represents the countrys 2.7 million RNs (Patel &Rushefsky, 2006).

The campaign is a response to the significant number and severity of work-related back injuries and other musculoskeletal disorders among nurses.American Nurses Association (ANA)Handle with Care Campaign

Proponents ViewsWill make healthcare jobs safer.

Reduce workers comp cost.

Improve patient care.

Proponents and Opponents ViewsOpponents ViewsCost is too high for lift equipment.

Staff will not use equipment.

Hospitals do not have the space to store lift equipment.

StakeholdersPatients, physicians, employees, the broader community, and legislative and regulatory bodies are examples of hospital stakeholders those individuals or groups who are greatly influenced by the hospital and have a vested interest in its success (Curran & Totten, 2010).

Front Line EmployeesEmployees FamiliesPatients and their FamiliesHospital LeadershipRegulatory AgenciesStakeholders

Consumer PerspectiveUnique policy since the consumer is the healthcare employee.

Typically the consumer is the user of a healthcare system receiving service.

No expensive to the consumer with this policy.

Strong lobbying by the American Nurses Association.

Current Status of PolicyCurrently there is no federal nationwide policy requiring hospitals to implement a no-lift or safe patient handling program.

Official position of the ANA is In order to establish a safe environment for nurses and patients, ANA supports actions and policies that result in the elimination of manual patient handling (ANA, 2015).

Nurse and Health Care Worker Protection Act of 2013 - Requires the Secretary of Labor to promulgate an interim final standard on safe patient handling, mobility, and injury prevention to prevent musculoskeletal disorders for direct-care registered nurses and all other health care workers that requires the use of engineering and safety controls to handle patients through the use of mechanical technology and devices where feasible. (www.congress.gov, 2015)

The bill was introduced in house on 6/25/13.Referred to the Subcommittee on Health on 7/23/13.

H.R. 2480 the Nurse and Healthcare Worker Protection Act

If the federal government establishes laws to protect American workers from hazards such as chemical exposure then why not the hazards from manually moving patients? Manually moving patients is not considered an acute or hot topic hazard that gets national attention. To implement a no-lift program takes a large investment of time and money on the front end. The return on investment may not be seen for years.Requires a culture change from the front line employees to leadership. Innovative Ideas for Reform

Congress passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 to promote safe and healthful working conditions for American workers.In the OSH Act, Congress delegated authority to OSHA to make rulesStandards made by OSHA are published in theCode of Federal Regulations (CFR).Regulatory

The facts state the need for the policy.Safe healthcare employees will result in improved patient care.H.R. 2480 has been at standstill for almost 2 years.The ANA is the driving force to passing H.R. 2480.Hospitals need to take it upon themselves to fix the problem.Conclusion

All Bill Information (Except Text) for H.R.2480 - Nurse and Health Care Worker Protection Act of 2013. (2013). Retrieved from www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/2480/all-inf

Curran, C., & Totten, M. (2010, March). Mission, Strategy, and Stakeholders. Retrieved from https://www.nursingeconomics.net/necfiles/BestonBoard/MA_10_BoB.pdf

NONFATAL OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES AND ILLNESSES REQUIRING DAYS AWAY FROM WORK, 2013. (2016, December 16). Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov /news.release/pdf/osh2.pdf

Patel, K. & Rushefsky, M. (2006). Health care polices and policy in America (3rd ed,) Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe

Safe Patient Handling and Mobility (SPHM). (2014, May 7). Retrieved from http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/Policy-Advocacy/State/Legislative-Agenda-Reports/State-SafePatientHandling

Safe Patient Handling and Mobility. (2015, January 1). Retrieved from http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/WorkplaceSafety/SafePatient

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