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Butch De Castro, PhD, MSN/MPH, RN, Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, American Nurses Association, 8515 Georgia Avenue, Suite 400, Silver Spring, MD 20910, 202-628-5138, Bdecastro@ana.org
The American Nurses Association has prioritized the prevention of work-related musculoskeletal disorders among nurses and direct patient caregivers. Recognizing the current nursing shortage, exposure to ergonomic hazards, such as manual patient handling and poor workplace environment design, must be examined as a primary factor driving deficiencies in the retention and recruitment of frontline nurses. Further, innovative research and applicaton of engineering controls in the form of safe patient handling technology has made musculoskeletal injury prevention feasible and effective. To address this issue, the ANA has developed a multi-component strategy to influence an industry-wide change in healthcare to prevent back injuries and other musculoskeletal injuries through greater awareness, training, increased use of assistive equipment and patient-handling devices, reshaping nursing education, and advocating for federal and state ergonomics policy. This presentation will describe the actions being pursued at a national level from a professional association perspective to encourage and achieve ergonomic protections in the healthcare workplace.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will be able to
Keywords: Ergonomics, Nurses
Related Web page: www.nursingworld.org/handlewithcare
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.