Effectiveness of an evidence-based curriculum module in nursing schools: Targeting safe patient handling and movement

Authors

Nancy Menzel, University of Nevada, Las VegasFollow
Audrey L. Nelson, Patient Safety Center of InquiryFollow
Thomas R. Waters, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Nancy Hughes, American Nurses Association
Pamela C. Hagan, American Nurses Association
Gail Powell-Cope, Kent State University
Viviam Thompson, Patient Safety Center of Inquiry

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-2007

Publication Title

International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship

Volume

4

Issue

1

First page number:

1

Last page number:

19

Abstract

Nursing schools in the United States have not been teaching evidence-based practices for safe patient handling, putting their graduates at risk for musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The specific aim of this study was to translate research related to safe patient handling into the curricula of nursing schools and evaluate the impact on nurse educators and students' intentions to use safe patient handling techniques. Nurse educators at 26 nursing schools received curricular materials and training; nursing students received the evidence-based curriculum module. There were three control sites. Questionnaires were used to collect data on knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about safe patient handling for both nurse educators and students, pre- and post-training. In this study, we found that nurse educator and student knowledge improved significantly at intervention schools, as did intention to use mechanical lifting devices in the near future. We concluded that the curriculum module is ready for wide dissemination across nursing schools to reduce the risk of MSDs among nurses.

Keywords

Nursing schools – Curriculum; Overuse injuries – Prevention; Patients – Positioning – Study and teaching; Transport of sick and wounded – Study and teaching

Disciplines

Curriculum and Instruction | Immune System Diseases | Nursing Administration | Occupational and Environmental Health Nursing | Other Education | Other Nursing | Public Health and Community Nursing | Virus Diseases

Language

English

Publisher Citation

Nelson, A., Waters, T.R., Menzel, N.N., Hughes, N., Hagan, P.C., Powell-Cope, G., Sedlak, C., et al. (2007). Effectiveness of an evidence-based curriculum module in nursing schools: Targeting safe patient handling and movement. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship, 4(1), 1-19.

Repository Citation

Menzel, N., Nelson, A. L., Waters, T. R., Hughes, N., Hagan, P. C., Powell-Cope, G., Thompson, V. (2007). Effectiveness of an evidence-based curriculum module in nursing schools: Targeting safe patient handling and movement. International Journal of Nursing Education Scholarship, 4(1), 1-19.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2202/1548-923X.1486