ABSTRACT
Patients have no handles and a 10 lb load lift ed away from the body exerts a force of 100 lb on the lumbar spine.16 Th e average age of U.S. nurses is 45 and many thousands have had a prior back episode, which increases their potential for an acute injury. Obesity in patients has increased the risk to caregivers who lift manually and the need for a higher level of training to reach the level of risk of exposure has never been mandated by the health care establishments. “Professionalizing” the task reduces all the variables due to the expertise of the professional, and this in turn contributes to the safe movement of patients. Concentrating a skill level in professional Lift Teams creates a safety factor for the staff previously exposed to random lift ing. It guarantees that the lift will be done according to all the safest techniques, standards, and the use of equipment, applications of training and awareness of lift principles thereby reducing the variables that create injury potential.
