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Standardized Safe Handling
Posted on:
February 8, 2013
A longtime supporter of safe handling practices, the American Nurses Association (ANA) set out last spring to develop universal standards to protect those who nurses care for, as well as healthcare professionals themselves.
While the healthcare community has invested substantial time and effort on safe handling over the past several years, the ANA recognized a need for a stronger, multidisciplinary foundation.
"We have been involved in safe patient handling advocacy for two decades and in 2003 launched the 'Handle With Care' program, which advocates for the elimination of manual lifting" said Suzy Harrington, DNP, RN, MCHES, director of ANA's Department for Health, Safety and Wellness. "Even though significant progress has been made, there is still more to do."
And so last April, the ANA brought together a multidisciplinary group of national experts to help build a safer environment for both resident and provider through a set of "National Safe Patient Handling and Mobility Standards."
Team Approach
The ANA's efforts were fueled by a multidisciplinary approach as well as person-centered goals that built upon the work already done.
"We envisioned a set of multidisciplinary, inter-professional standards that would be applicable across a variety of settings, including acute care, home health and long-term care, to name a few," said Harrington. "We want them to be realistic and attainable, while raising the bar at the same time."
While this is not the first safe handling initiative, it goes a step beyond previously established programs. "We added the term mobility because it's more than just moving the patient for the patient's safety and the healthcare provider's safety," she emphasized. "It is also about making it more patient-centered and increasing the  progress mobility of the patient."
"It is about getting them out of bed . and preventing, for example, pressure ulcers, deep vein thrombosis and falls," she added. "Patient handling and mobility impact all aspects of care for the healthcare worker, and for patients and their quality of life."
With these goals in mind, the ANA looked to the healthcare community to join together and create a resource that benefits the entire continuum of care.
Professionals across settings and specialties - such as OTs, PTs, nurses and architects - were united by the ANA.
Driven by the desire to foster safe environments, these professionals participated in work groups that addressed various aspects of resident handling and mobility.
"Everyone brought their unique expertise and experience to the discussion," said Ron Romano, RN, American Association of Safe Patient Handling and Movement representative and vice president of professional services, American Association for Long Term Care Nursing.
Romano, who worked as a consultant for lift manufacturers, decided he could provide the most valuable contribution in a group that corresponded with his professional knowledge base, including "Establish a System for Education, Training and Competency."
"Given my experience I selected the technology and education work groups," he said. "Each group devoted their time to a particular topic as it related to safe patient handling." Other work groups focused on topics including creating an effective program, prevention, patient assessment, evaluation and others.
Standard Specifics
Months of collaboration between the ANA and participating professionals led to eight standards for resident handling that were released for public comment in October 2012. (See Safe Handling Standards.) Each draft standard focused on a key component of safe patient handling and mobility.
Together these standards, which are now being reviewed and finalized by ANA's task force, provide healthcare leaders and staff the necessary guidelines to create a successful safe resident handling and mobility program. The official standards are slated for release in spring 2013.
Bridging Disciplines
Building a resource that could be used no matter the discipline was a challenge that required extensive discussion and flexibility among work groups.
"Each setting and discipline has different perspectives and so making consistent, universal standards that can be applied everywhere has been a challenge - but a good challenge," said Harrington. "Everyone involved had the chance to expand their understanding of the continuum of care outside their given specialty, establishing a solid consensus."
Over the course of several months participants worked together to improve resident and provider safety while broadening their horizon. "This experience has forced me to look at safe patient handling from all sides of care," noted Romano. "It was enlightening and helped me gain a better understanding. I witnessed firsthand the various challenges different specialties deal with every day."
Aside from unique perspectives, each specialty also has unique terminology. "Every area of care had different ways of saying things," he added. "And so we had to come up with a universal language that could be applied in every setting."
To overcome this difficulty a list of definitions was included with the standards. "We did everything we could to draft a document that could be understood and utilized by everyone," stressed Harrington.
Lasting Impact
As these standards evolve, they will have a lasting impact on the entire healthcare community from leadership and administrators to frontline staff and the residents they serve.
By creating a multidisciplinary model, the ANA has strengthened the foundation for safe handling and mobility, and healthcare leaders and staff across the continuum of care have a shared resource to guide their efforts to build and expand their programs.
"It is important that we have a set of standards that holds everyone accountable and creates a culture of safety," said Romano. "It is necessary not just to prevent injuries, but also to maintain dignity for our patients.
"As a caregiver it is our responsibility to keep people as independent as possible for as long as possible," he added. "These standards address not only safety, but also the importance of technology, which makes patient transfer or lifting much more dignified for the patient."
As the ANA puts the finishing touches on the eight standards, they are already looking to the future and the impact this document could have on promoting and expanding safe handling practice nationwide.
"Our ultimate goal is to have these standards ready to be incorporated into practices, policies, procedures, legislation and regulation," concluded Harrington. "As a united community we can help one another create the safest environment possible for caregivers and patients."
Catlin Nalley is on staff at ADVANCE. Contact: CNalley@advanceweb.com
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