An Integrated Approach to the Prevention of Back Injuries in Health Care Workers

摘要

Retention [and recruitment] of health care workers for most health care organizations has become a top priority. Several factors are contributing to what many perceive as a "nursing shortage crisis" including an aging workforce, low enrollments in studies related to care giving, an array of employment options for traditional care givers, demographics of the "baby boomers" moving through the system with a smaller employment pool behind, an ever-aging population with an increased acuity of health problems, strong regulatory requirements, rising health care costs, and increased fiscal constraints. As of 1998, the average age of working nurses increased from 37.7 to 41.9 years old". Madeline Wake, dean of Marquette University's nursing school states "Right now there is a serious problem, but nothing like what it is going to be in a few years. Fifty percent of the current nursing work force will reach retirement age in the next 15 years." Some studies are showing that there is a direct relationship between caregiver staffing and quality of care" Michael Hodgson, the Director of the VA occupational health program states "The cost of [staff] injuries and illnesses represents money taken away from patient care and the families of employees".