Ergonomics in Healthcare

Patient handling and transfer

Patient handling is challenging because patients come in various sizes and conditions. Sometimes patient capabilities expectations do not match actuality and thus the weight of carry can be variable. In addition to this, typically multiple staff can be involved which makes the load on staff further variable. Legs can give out for example, and if staff were to then have suddenly to go from holding up half of a patient’s weight to the full weight, this sudden additional force can lead to a strain of the back, shoulders, etc.

Workstation Design

Having adjustable workstations is very important not only to allow for varying between sitting and standing positions but even more critical is achieving the ideal seated work surface height. Provided that most spaces in the healthcare industry will have sufficiently adjustable office task chairs it is just as important to educate staff on how to make these adjustments and what the proper adjustments are.

Equipment & Tool Design

Having the right tool for the job can mitigate ergonomic risk factors such as force, awkward postures, and repetition. Some tools have ergonomic handle grips meant for one application but used for another making this seemingly ergonomically design tool not very ergonomic! So it’s important to employ a trained ergonomic specialist at your workspace to ensure the right tool is used for the job.  Implementation and training are key in this aspect as well.

Use of Assistive Devices

Gurneys, beds, lifts can be mechanical either with electric motors or counterbalanced to ensure that lifts and maneuvering patients is done without over 35 pounds of force. This amount of force is the limit in the healthcare industry for patient handling. Remember that if two people perform a lift together that they should only lift 67 percent of their total capacity which is 70 pounds multiplied by 0.67 which is only 47 lbs. When talking to people, this limit is less that what usually a person expects a lifting capacity to be for only a one-person lift!

Workflow Optimization

There are situations where a hospital will have a patient lift device but it’s deep in a closet and half the staff does not even realize it exists. Many hospital staff are travel nurses and their onboarding may not cover all of the equipment and training necessary to know what equipment is available to them. Unfortunately, they find out commonly after an injury occurs to them or a colleague. Make sure to keep equipment close and available to ensure that staff know where to find it, and especially in a rush, will still want to use it when patient handling.

Ergonomic Training

Training staff on biomechanics so that they shield themselves from awkward postures when handling patients is critical. Typically an ergonomic specialist can lead a class or perform a train-the-trainer which is always well worth the investment.