04/14/2023
By Maureen Martin

The Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences, Solomont School of Nursing invites you to attend a doctoral dissertation defense by Patricia A. MacCulloch on "Investigating Hospital Safety Culture Characteristics Related to Nurse Patient Handling Policies and Practices: A Mixed-Method Study."

Date: Friday, April 28, 2023
Time: 8 to 11 a.m.
Location: This will be a virtual defense via Zoom. Those interested in attending should email Patricia_MacCulloch@student.uml.edu and committee Chair Yuan_Zhang@uml.edu at least 24 hours prior to the defense to request access to the meeting.

Committee Members:

  • Committee Chair Yuan Zhang, PhD, RN, Solomont School of Nursing, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Mazen El Ghaziri, Ph.D., MPH, RN, Associate Chair & Associate Professor, Solomont School of Nursing, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Laura Punnett, ScD, Chair, Professor & Distinguished University Professor, Biomedical Engineering, University of Massachusetts Lowell
  • Rebecca Gore, Ph.D., Senior Biostatistician, Biomedical Engineering, CPH-NEW, University of Massachusetts Lowell

Abstract:

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the safety culture characteristics of hospital patient handling policies and practices in a state without patient handling legislation and explore the barriers and facilitators of patient handling activities experienced by registered nurses.

BACKGROUND: Nurses are at significant risk of musculoskeletal injury and musculoskeletal disorders associated with patient handling activities. Organizational safety culture is the promotion of workplace health and safety directed by policy and cultivated by the behaviors of its employees.

METHODS: Guided by the Enabling, Enacting, and Elaborating a Safety Culture conceptual framework, this mixed-method study included secondary data analyses from a web-based hospital survey focused on safe patient handling (SPH) policy and practices and semi-structured interviews with 14 registered nurse to explore perceived facilitators and barriers to implementing patient handling activities in both unionized and non- unionized hospitals.

RESULTS: Twenty-one hospitals (24% response rate) completed the survey. Overall, most responders 71.4% (n=15) reported having a formal SPH committee or group working to prevent patient handing injures and a written SPH policy in practice. Hospitals with patient handling committees were more likely to have SPH policies. Few hospital policies have a maximum weight lifting limit and few report having designated lift teams. Nurses reported barriers to patient handling include unaware of patient handling policies; no formal training on patient mobility assessment procedures; insufficient equipment, inadequate ergonomic and equipment use training, and inadequate staffing. Nurses report their colleagues and teamwork on their nursing unit to be the most facilitative resource to SPH activities.

CONCLUSIONS: Hospitals with safe patient handling committees and SPH and mobility policies are supporting a positive safety culture. Hospitals that educate nurses to patient mobility and SPH policies foster safety and employee injury data summarized into reports and utilized for the development of employee education modules and policy improvement initiatives support a positive safety culture. Future research opportunities include developing a standardized mobility assessment process and tool for use across the life span and modernizing technical lift equipment.