Missouri is one of 11 states with laws or regulations requiring facilities to adopt safety initiatives such as installing lift equipment, developing protocols, instituting training and studying outcomes, according to an article on the St. Louis Post-Dispatch website.
Missouri’s “safe patient handling” recommendations went into effect in 2011.
Hospital officials say they are turning a corner in efforts to prevent another generation of nurses suffering from painful surgeries, quitting early or living with chronic pain.
Changing how nurses are taught to move patients fosters a culture change, the article said. Goldfarb School of Nursing in St. Louis recently installed ceiling lifts in its simulation lab.