ABSTRACT
Developments in healthcare systems, especially in Europe, have meant that hospitals are increasingly viewed as centers for the short-term treatment of “acute” patients, while long-term care is delivered in the patient’s own home or in hospices and geriatric facilities. Consequently, as far as patient-handling risk goes, there has been an absolute increase in the number of patients whose clinical condition requires them to be handled and/ or lifted. Moreover, the number of nurses aged over 45 is also rising; according to recent studies (Guardini et al. 2011; Buerhaus, Staiger, and Auerbach 2000), the increasing proportion of older healthcare workers will soon make it extremely difficult to manage less than fully fit staff in areas of the healthcare system where there are patients who need to be manually handled.
