“One of the most interesting aspects of the introduction under the system at an early stage was that staff reported that after a week of the new system, they felt so much better. Instead of (as in the past) being tired and worn out at the end of the day and going home unable to really enjoy their families and do things with them, they were now able to go home at the end of the day feeling able to do normal family activities.”
“The Canberra Hospital had been experiencing an increasingly high rate of staff manual handling injuries over a 3-year period. The Canberra Hospital began implementing the O’Shea Manual Handling Program in April 2005. An evaluation of the program for the last 12-month period reveals a significant reduction in manual handling injuries and workers compensation claims.”
“The O’Shea No Lift System has broad application to a range of healthcare settings, and has been implemented successfully in 87% of public healthcare facilities and many aged care facilities in Victoria. The program has achieved demonstrated benefits for nurses, healthcare organizations, and patients/residents. Of course, the most important benefit from our point of view is the reduced human suffering associated with back injuries, and the prevention of these debilitating injuries to nurses.”
“I am greatly impressed with the unique use of the specialized slide sheets which Louise (O’Shea) has personally developed to reduce force and risk of injury with patient movement such as repositioning up the bed, occupied bed linen change, etc.”
“The healthcare network I am employed by commenced a patient manual-handling program in 1998. Three of the five hospitals implemented the O’Shea No Lift System. Now seven years later al five hospitals are using it. The three that originally implemented the program now have a highly successful patient manual handling program where staff incidents/ injuries are rare and staff would not be without the program. The O’Shea No Lift program clearly works. The patient handling training and education is simple and easy for staff to understand. The documentation that comes with the program clearly outlines what is expected and the healthcare network has certainly seen a dramatic decrease in the number and severity of injuries to clinical staff.”
“In the last four years we have seen the O’Shea System transform the lives of residents and care staff alike. We have seen a huge reduction in falls and fractures, traumatic skin tears and bruising. Staff has reported less back pain and lethargy and there have been no manual handling injuries in the last 12 months.”
“One of the most difficult changes a healthcare organization can make is to change entrenched nursing dogma and behaviors associated with bedside practice. This is especially true if it involves introducing new science, technology, or best practice evidence. Installing and purchasing lift equipment and expecting that by training it will get used isn’t sufficient strategy.
The O’Shea No Lift System is a powerful approach that provides the expertise and tools necessary to bridge this gap. Using a decentralized model that empowers clinicians to own and drive change in their environment works and will move your organization into a new realm of associate and patient safety.”