title: Ergonomics and patient handling.
abstract: This study aimed to describe patient-handling demands in inpatient units during a 24-hour period at a military health care facility. A 1-day total population survey described the diverse nature and impact of patient-handling tasks relative to a variety of nursing care units, patient characteristics, and transfer equipment. Productivity baselines were established based on patient dependency, physical exertion, type of transfer, and time spent performing the transfer. Descriptions of the physiological effect of transfers on staff based on patient, transfer, and staff characteristics were developed. Nursing staff response to surveys demonstrated how patient-handling demands are impacted by the staff's physical exertion and level of patient dependency. The findings of this study describe the types of transfers occurring in these inpatient units and the physical exertion and time requirements for these transfers. This description may guide selection of the most appropriate and cost-effective patient-handling equipment required for specific units and patients.
authors.affiliation: U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine Ergonomics Program, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Kelsey L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: McCoskey
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D006804:Ergonomics / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006772:Hospitals, Military; D006801:Humans; D017770:Lifting / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology; D015401:Nursing Administration Research; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D009785:Occupational Health Nursing; D005082:Physical Exertion; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013996:Time and Motion Studies; D016526:Workload