Safe patient handling.

Abstract

No, this is not yet another story about the danger of back injuries among nurses and the numbers of nurses forced to leave the bedside due to limitations resulting from a back injury. A new twist has presented itself in the area of ergonomics, "Safe Patient Handling," which offers a solution to the problem rather than just an identification of the burden it presents to the health care industry. The new approach recognizes that patient transfers present clear risk for both the patient and the nurse; and that these risks are costly and could be significantly decreased or eliminated to the benefit of all concerned.