Patient care needs to be the prime focus of nearly all healthcare or medical organizations. Many hospitals, doctors’ offices, and urgent care facilities develop Safe Patient Handling programs (SPH) to facilitate the safe transportation of patients within a hospital or even as they are admitted and discharged. Your medical organization’s frontline workers need the right training and equipment to help ensure patient safety — as well as their own — whenever patients must be moved during their treatment.

Patient care and your own workers’ well-being benefit from a thorough safe patient handling program. With that in mind, here are a few tips for building a SPH program at your healthcare organization.

Start Off the Process with a Gap Analysis

Before determining what items need to be part of a SPH program, your organization needs to analyze the current patient handling situation compared to the ideal. This is called a Gap analysis, a widely used business planning tool, and it helps your team build a roadmap for how to develop and implement your own SPH procedures.

This Gap analysis identifies any weaknesses in your current approach, and when combined with input from your current staff, helps determine the steps to fix any issues as part of the new program.

The Right SPH Training and Equipment are a Must

Once you and your team develop the new SPH program, it is important for your staff to receive the right amount of training to ensure its proper implementation. Tailor training programs to the specific medical professionals involved with patient interaction. For example, a physical therapist has different training needs when compared to a nurse.

The right equipment needed for safe patient transportation and handling is another vital part of any SPH program. Once again, proper training programs on using this equipment need to be emphasized. Consider making a certification test on this equipment a part of your SPH program.

Proper development and implementation of a SPH program ensures patient safety remains paramount at your medical organization. Additionally, your own employees’ safety also benefits from the use of SPH procedures.

If your healthcare company needs additional insight or a supply of excellent candidates, talk to the experts at Pinnacle Workforce. As one of the nation’s top medical staffing agencies, we can help ensure your overall success. Schedule a meeting with us at your earliest convenience.