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How to Develop a Lift Team, Part 1 of 2
Healthcare workers suffer more musculoskeletal injuries (MSIs) than any other professional group-with backaches, neck pain and shoulder injuries leading the way. Within the healthcare profession, nurses who lift and move patients are particularly vulnerable. One of the approaches used by healthcare providers and facilities that's proven effective in dealing with MSIs is the use of lift teams. And of course, the same basic technique can work in just about any industry. This article will explain why lift teams are successful in curbing MSIs and how to put them together at your facility.
The Lift Team's Purpose
A lift team is a group of workers who are specially trained and dedicated to the task of lifting, moving and repositioning patients, including patients who are overweight, obese or otherwise hard to move. Lift teams spare nurses and other healthcare providers from having to perform these tasks and thus have less exposure to ergonomic injuries.
A lift team may consist of as few as two members. Team members are most often male because of the physical nature of the work. However, women may also serve on a lift team.
Training Lift Team Members
Be sure that your lift team members get training in proper lifting techniques, including the use of equipment specifically designed to help them do their jobs. It's also wise to provide team members additional training to enhance their value to the hospital. That may include training in:
- CPR;
- Preventing the spread of infectious diseases, including through exposure to blood borne pathogens; and
- Handling the problems that can arise when individuals are unable or unwilling to move on their own.
Organizing the Lift Team
Lift teams can be organized in a variety of ways, depending on the size of the facility:
- Larger facilities often organize lift teams by floor or unit. Thus, personnel on the floor are called upon by their colleagues whenever they need help moving or repositioning a patient. The message for assistance is transmitted from the nursing desk.
- Smaller facilities generally organize two or three groups of lift teams that service either the entire facility or specific sections of the facility. In this case, members of the lift team are summoned by an overhead page or by a beeper message.
The key is to have staff trained and ready to assist others in moving patients, and a system in place to summon the team. Because patient lifting and moving may be needed at any time of the day, many facilities have lift teams available around-the-clock.
Conclusion
While lift teams make sense, you can't just say 'let's have a lift team' and expect the program to be successful. You must take the time and effort to properly educate staff about the team's responsibilities. You also need to explain how and when lift teams are used. Next week, in Part 2 of this series, we'll discuss how to build a team approach that will help you get better results from your lift team.
HEALTH AND SAFETY OBSERVANCES
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Clean Hands Week, September 21 to 27, 2008
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, proper handwashing is the single most important thing people can do to prevent illness and the spread of germs. Share these proper hygiene tips with your workers:
When to wash:
- Always wash up before eating.
- Wash your hands before preparing food to prevent food poisoning and the spread of disease. Wash before you handle each different food. For example, wash between cutting the raw chicken and dicing the vegetables.
- Always wash your hands after using the toilet. If you have been handling chemicals, wash before using the toilet, too.
- Wash your hands before handling contact lenses or applying makeup.
How to wash:
- Take off watches, bracelets and rings.
- Wet your hands and forearms using a stream of warm running water.
- Lather thoroughly with the recommended cleanser such as soap. Plain soap and warm water is good enough for most hand washing, providing it is done properly.
- Rub your hands together vigorously for at least 15 seconds. Scrub your wrists, the front and back of your hands and your fingers. Clean under your fingernails.
- Rinse well under warm running water.
- Repeat the washing and rinsing steps if necessary.
- Dry your hands completely on a one-use towel or under an air drier.
- Use a paper towel to turn off the faucet and open the door without contaminating your hands again.
For more information on Clean Hands Week, visit the Clean Hands Coalition website.
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