Rep. Thompson Introduces Bill To Reduce Nurse Injuries

Main Category: Nursing / Midwifery
Article Date: 16 Mar 2009 - 8:00 PDT

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A crusading Texas representative has introduced legislation to reduce serious workplace injuries to nurses and other healthcare workers, which is a vital plank in the legislative agenda of the national and state nurses movement.

HB 2597 sponsored by National Nurses Organizing Committee-Texas (NNOC-Texas), which is Texas' new professional advocacy organization and union for registered nurses, is authored by Rep. Senfronia Thompson and will be heard first in the Texas House of Representatives. The bill requires hospitals to have safe lift policies, such as providing lifting equipment for and training to employees to avoid debilitating back and other musculoskeletal injuries.

Data shows that healthcare workers (registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses and certified nurse assistants, per Bureau of Labor Statistics 2007) suffered 66,060 work-related musculoskeletal injuries (back and neck injuries). These workers missed 44,930 days of work that year, the third-most of any occupation sector.

NNOC-Texas activist nurse Laura Dominguez, RN noted that an aging RN workforce and the increasing obesity of Americans creates a substantial risk of back and neck injuries. "It is imperative that we protect our nurses and other healthcare workers from injury. Reducing workplace injuries is an important component of keeping experienced nurses at the bedside to help reduce the nursing shortage. Safe lift policies are also vital for patient safety," said Lerma, noting the risk to patients who may be harmed without safe and proper lifting.

HB 2597 builds on current practice in many hospitals and establishes a standard that, studies show, has saved hospitals millions of dollars in workers compensation, lost time, and replacement costs. The cost of training and orienting each new RN alone ranges from $40,000 to $60,000.

An NNOC analysis of 723 such injuries at University of California medical centers in 2003 estimates the injuries cost the University from $8 million to $11 million. By contrast, Kaiser Permanente saw a 46 percent reduction in nursing staff injuries following the introduction of lift teams trained to handle the increase of heavy patients.

Source
California Nurses Association

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