10 TALKBACK BACK PAIN IN NURSING
Back pain in nursing
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Back Pain in Nursing is the focus of this year’s BackCare Awareness Week, taking place 5-9 October.
BACKCARE is issuing new flyers, A5 booklets, A3 posters and balloons for display, while this Special Awareness edition of TalkBack will cover initiatives from professional partner associations. BackCare’s campaign will, with the assistance of its flagship publication The Guide to the Handling
of People (HOP6), prevent significant back injuries in the Nursing profession. Many nurses will benefit from training which is provided by our sister organisation, the National Back Exchange. It will be advertised widely throughout the NHS and caring facilities and also through social media.
Must-have training guide for the handling of people HOP6 is the leading and internationally recognised training text for the handling of people. Extensively updated, the 6th edition of this gold standard guide includes four new major sections: ● Legal framework, risk assessment, ergonomics and biomechanics methods and requirements for patient/ person safety and injury prevention ● Key strategies for organisation, training, equipment, work, health and wellbeing essential to safer handling practice ● Practical chapters setting out evidence-based best practice in core manual and
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equipment skills ● Special circumstances, including key pathways and case studies. HOP6 is widely endorsed by organisations including the Royal College of Nursing, the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, the College of Occupational Therapists and the Health and Safety Executive. The mission of HOP6 is to set out a person-centred systems approach, which balances the twin aims of (patient/person) safety, dignity and enablement with the prevention and management of work relevant MSDs in
health and social care workers. The Guide to the Handling of People – 6th Edition (HOP6) is available for £49.95. For bulk order discounts and postage queries please contact orders@ backcaretrading.org.uk or call 020 8977 5474 (Mon-Thu 9am-4pm). www.backcare.org.uk
Better planning can reduce injury in the workplace We know from bitter experience that poor moving and handling practice can cause back pain or make existing pain worse, and nurses can be as vulnerable as any worker. Many of the potentially injurious tasks will feature in a nurse’s typical working day: lifting heavy or bulky loads; carrying loads awkwardly, possibly one-handed; pushing, pulling or dragging heavy loads; repetitive tasks; bending, crouching or stooping; stretching, twisting and reaching; being in one position for a long time. What’s more, high workloads, tight deadlines, inadequate staffing levels and lack of control of the work can often exacerbate matters. The HSE has identified measures that can reduce the risk of back pain in your workplace1:
