Brian Grube (left), registered nurse at the Milwaukee VA, stabilizes the head of Robbyn Gaska, licensed practical nurse at Milwaukee VA, as she is lifted up on the hover jack. Dietzen played the role of patient during the training inside the Matousek Auditorium on Oct. 7 as Lindsay Dietzen, health technician at Milwaukee VA, stands by on the side to make sure she does not roll off. - Photo by Antony Kamps
The loud hum of an air compressor kicks on and less than 90 seconds later Robbyn Gaska is lifted four feet into the air by one of Milwaukee VA’s safe patient handling equipment; the hover jack. The future of safe patient handling is happening right now at the Milwaukee VA, and Judy Lee, safe patient handling facility coordinator at the Milwaukee VA, trains employees on an annual basis.
A group of front line staff, employees who directly work with patients, gather together for the annual. This group of more than 40 employees is called, “Super Users.”
The training, called Unit Peer Leader Day focuses on the use of patient handling equipment. The training educates employees on how to effectively use the equipment safely and efficiently. The equipment helps to create a safer environment for not only the employee, but the Veteran too.
“All of this is to help prevent injuries,” said Lee. “The “Super Users” teach and become role models to the rest of the staff, encouraging them to use the equipment.”
Every in-patient room has ceiling lifts, a requirement in VA for employees to use to safely move the patients. Lee said it is not uncommon for hospitals in the surrounding areas to come to the Milwaukee VA for training on the lifts.
“I was really excited about it,” Lee said. “It shows how advanced we are as a medical center.”
Carri Steinbrenner, physical therapist and unit peer leader at Milwaukee VA, teaches training classes two to three times a week. She said nurses used to complain about achy knees and backs, but the equipment has helped them.
“I’ve seen the benefits of doing the training,” Steinbrenner said. “The staff has made leaps and bounds learning the equipment. At first it was difficult to get the old school minded to change their ways, but once they saw the benefits they quickly changed their minds.”
There were five training stations for each employee to rotate through. The five stations were hover jack and hover mat, bed lift, Hoyer lift, ceiling lift, and sit to stand. Training at each station lasted around 45 minutes to an hour. It included live training on the use of each device with one of the Unit Peer Leaders playing the part of the patient.
Randall Carter, safe patient handling coordinator at the Madison VA, led the hover mat and hover jack training. He explained to the group the step-by-step process of using the equipment. The hover jack is an inflatable bed that inflates to about four feet off the ground. The hover mat allows staff to easily move a patient from stretchers to a bed.
“In the past we would use the ‘1, 2, 3 … go’ method where we then pull the patient across,” said Carter. “Instead of using a jerking and pulling method we just slide them over, reducing the risk of back injury.”
According to Lee, the amount of employee injuries due to patient handling was as high as 78 in 2005. That number has been cut to less than 40 in this past year. Lee said the annual training is the reason for the reduction.
“You can really tell the VA is investing and cares about the safety of their workers,” said Lee.