Risk_Management_Report

Risk Management Report This poster is designed to address the risk of back pain as it is a common problem for nurses to suffer from work related low back pain more than workers in other professions. The aim of the poster is to increase the awareness of back pain as it is the ‘worse enemy’ of the care environment. Very often nurses hurt their backs while turning bed ridden patients or while transferring patients from bed to chairs. Millions of pounds have been paid out in compensations to nurses who have injured their back. According to the Health and Safety at work Act, 1974, employers are legally bound to establish a safe system of work (NICE 2008). Efforts have been established to make mandatory training available but a number of potential hazards has increased with new technological equipment (Peate 2005). From a point of view of a patient who needs assistance with daily living activities during the stay at hospital, the situation could create a general mistrust towards the nursing staff. Patients vary in their perception of care but it is fundamental to listen to their point of view to be able to respond to their needs (Moyet 2007). To understand how this enemy acts on the nurses’ health and career, here is a very brief description of the back anatomy and how back injury occurs. The vertebral column is like a strong flexible rod that moves anteriorly, posteriorly and laterally, it also rotates. It supports the head and is an attachment for the ribs and muscles. Some intervertebral discs form powerful joints between the vertebrae to permit various movements and also to absorb vertical shock. Some ligaments of a large amount of elastic tissue permits forward flexion but it is the skeletal muscles that are the most important for movements. Musculoskeletal problem accompanied with osteoarthritis or an intervertebral disk dysfunction are among the causes of back pain though stress and obesity can contribute to the problem . An inflammatory response which affects surrounding tissues and nerve endings happens when micro ruptures of muscle tissues occur repeatedly (Scalon 2003). Back pain sufferers need to change their lifestyle, avoid twisting, bending, lifting and reaching; sitting must be limited to a period of time. Specific low stress aerobic exercise, rest and relaxation are recommended in addition with analgesic agents. (Gulanick 2007). There are three general categories of analgesic agents, opiods, NSAID, and local anesthetics. Some antidepressant and anticonvulsant medications may be used to treat back pain (Smeltzer 2008). This poster was to be placed at the main entrance of the ward, then another copy by the nurses’ station area in an acute medical ward. It would clearly identify the enemy as ‘back pain’ while providing care. It would be a written call to fight for the occupation of nursing by doing justice to the profession. The poster would be the opportunity to all health professional, patients, carers, relatives, visitors, coming to the ward to work with the nurses to communicate freely compared to previously nurses just being given dates to go to mandatory training or asking patient for feedback and suggestion on research that they haven’t been involved in.( Crumbie 2009). 2 There would be no jargon and technical language, just simple instruction to pass a very important message. Not quite easy when professional ambitions and dedication must cohere with economic realities (Dingwall 1998). Nurses cannot be compelled to care about their profession but abiding to their responsibilities by engaging themselves fully in the enormous range of activities shows the recognition and attachment to the chosen profession ( Buchama 2000). A very important part of the caring and nursing would be highlighted as the poster combined back pain with communication. Effective communication is essential not only to the ward manager but to other colleagues as well (NMC 2003).The Occupational Health Department is there to assist them to deal with their enemy . Sick leave was traditionally needed to recover from back pain but options to temporarily adapt the duties in a way to minimize the pressure on those suffering from back pain (NICE 2008). A brief evaluation questionnaire would be offered to the staff and patients after two weeks of the exposition of the poster. In response, it would be expected that the nurses would zealously be ready to fight the enemy. The nurses would have found that it is best to be open about how back pain affects their work. Some modifications to the working area would have come through. The answer would have been put down as probably a combination of lack of knowledge or the hope that there wouldn’t be a bad accident, moving and handling equipment should be standard despite lack of training, lack of space, and shortages of correct type of equipment. First of all they would have started adjusting their working shift to avoid stress; good posture would proudly be in practice again, patients would be encouraged to adhere to the prescribed exercises. Hence actual and potential areas of risk would have been identified, measures would have been developed to address the dangers and injury to staff or the patients. There would be an atmosphere of challenge to this long standing enemy. Some nurses and other health professionals would start inquiring about training availability, a different attitude and approach would be surfacing. The poster would be classed as a method of helping experienced nurses to think more systematically about their practice and that mandatory training were almost intended to update their original training. The poster would been seen as an encouragement of professional work by focusing on the needs of the nurses and patients as well, it would been there up on the wall of the main entrance and on their desk at the nurses’ station, visitors, carers, relatives, and other health professional would have seen and read it. It would challenge a debate and the response would have to be a great success.