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PT How Much Weight Should a Nurse lift?
16 january, 2025
The healthcare sector is physically and mentally demanding. Therefore the safety and well-being of both patients and caregivers are crucial. Yet, one often overlooked aspect is the physical toll on healthcare professionals, particularly nurses, when manually lifting patients. Nurses often don’t know how much weight they should lift in order to protect their back. That’s why the American Nurses Association (ANA) has delved into this critical issue, shedding light on the risks and advocating for crucial changes.
According to the ANA’s investigations, the weight of a patient significantly affects the safe handling requirements. They’ve concluded that when facing the task of lifting over 33 kg (approximately 73 lbs), multiple individuals must collaborate at the operating table or intensive care bed. Once 70 kg (approximately 154 lbs) is surpassed, it becomes mandatory to use assistive devices. These guidelines emphasize the necessity of proper equipment in order to prevent back injuries and ensure patient and caregiver safety.
What are the consequences of heavy manual patient handling?
Nurses face a significant risk of injuries and musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) due to manual patient handling. These injuries often result in prolonged periods of lost work time, increased medical care needs, and, in severe cases, permanent disabilities. Recognizing this, the ANA is dedicated to advocating for Safe Patient Handling and Mobility (SPHM) programs.
How to make it better?
The ANA’s mission focuses on establishing a secure environment for nurses and they stress the need for universal SPHM standards across all healthcare settings to safeguard nurses from unnecessary injuries. This is important in order for nurses to exercise their fundamental right to work in environments that prioritize their health and safety, and to provide better support for the patients. Without a unified effort and adherence to these standards, nurses will remain at risk.
Sources:
- Tosunoz, I. K., & Oztunc, G. (2017). Low back pain in nurses. Int J Caring Sci, 10(3), 1728-32. https://internationaljournalofcaringsciences.org/docs/70_ipek_special_10_3.pdf
Ergotrics
Ergotrics is a Med-Tech company specialized in positioning and moving patients with compressed air. We design and produce inflatable medical devices, which allow optimal positioning of patients in hospitals. We design our products with special attention given to ease of use and hygiene. By using compressed air instead of manual force, we want to provide better support for patients without ergonomic burden for the healthcare worker.
