Implementing a Safe Patient Handling Program in the Acute Care Setting

Developed by: AOHP (Association of Occupational Health Professionals)

Description: This resource describes safe patient handling programs and gives suggestions for implementing them in acute health care settings. It’s divided into five sections: background information, differences between acute and long-term healthcare settings, ways to prepare a workplace for a safe patient handling program, a guide on how to start a program, and ways to maintain it. Much of the information is written at a “big-picture” level with the intent that individual workplaces follow it as a framework instead of a set of instructions.

Keywords: healthcare, patient, lifting, transfer, carry, implement, start, maintain, upkeep, nursing, bed, program, organization, hospital