ROCHESTER, N.Y., May 15 (UPI) -- Staff injuries are down in a New York hospital thanks to an innovative, national "Safe Lifting Environment" campaign that promotes safe movement of patients.
After suffering an injury last year while moving a patient, Tanya Walsh, a nurse, is coordinating the No Lift Protocol at Highland Hospital in Rochester after she became concerned that other nurses might also injure themselves while working with patients.
"In nursing schools, you are taught to use good body mechanics and limited use of lifting equipment to prevent injury," said Walsh. "You aren't taught all the core lifting components, partly because the new technologies today are making the old ways of lifting patients obsolete."
Walsh promotes the use of patient lifts, plastic sheets and repositioning devices to move patients.
"By using the Safe Lifting Environment materials, at: http://www.safeliftingenvironment.com/, I was able to further promote awareness of our own No Lift Protocol," said Walsh.
"I am utilizing the injury statistics as part of my program research, and we are raising awareness by using the safe lifting decals in conjunction with our No Lift Protocol."
