HR0511 LRB095 12410 KBJ 37485 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, Patients are at greater risk of injury, including
3 skin tears, falls, and musculoskeletal injuries, while being
4 lifted, transferred, or repositioned manually; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Safe patient handling can reduce skin tears
6 suffered by patients by threefold and can significantly reduce
7 other injuries to patients as well; and
 
8     WHEREAS, Health care workers are reported to lead the
9 nation in work-related musculoskeletal disorders; and
 
10     WHEREAS, Between 38% and 50% of nurses and other health
11 care workers will suffer a work-related back injury during
12 their career; 42% of these workers will be unable to return to
13 work in their pre-injury job; and
 
14     WHEREAS, The use of proper body mechanics by health care
15 workers does not eliminate the risk of injury; and
 
16     WHEREAS, Assistive patient handling equipment and devices
17 have essentially rendered the act of strict manual patient
18 handling unnecessary as a function of nursing care; therefore,
19 be it
 

 

 

HR0511 - 2 - LRB095 12410 KBJ 37485 r

1     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
2 NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
3 the Illinois House of Representatives shall convene an
4 interagency Safe Patient Handling Task Force; this Task Force
5 shall study safe patient handling policies and create
6 recommended policy guidelines for all health care facilities to
7 eliminate the manual lifting of patients by direct-care
8 registered nurses and other health care providers through the
9 use of mechanical devices, except in life-threatening
10 situations or in an emergency; the recommended policy
11 guidelines shall provide protection for registered nurses and
12 health care providers for refusal of assignment and a
13 whistleblower provision; and be it further
 
14     RESOLVED, That the Safe Patient Task Force shall include
15 the following members or their designees: the Director of
16 Public Health, the Director of Aging, the Director of
17 Healthcare and Family Services, the Secretary of Human
18 Services, and the Secretary of Financial and Professional
19 Regulation; that the Task Force shall also include, but is not
20 limited to, the following members appointed by the Director of
21 Public Health: one member of a statewide organization
22 representing registered professional nurses, one direct care
23 nurse currently practicing in a hospital, one direct care nurse
24 currently practicing in a long-term care setting, one physician
25 licensed to practice medicine in all its branches, one physical

 

 

HR0511 - 3 - LRB095 12410 KBJ 37485 r

1 therapist, one member of a statewide organization representing
2 hospitals, and one member of a statewide organization
3 representing long-term care facilities; and be it further
 
4     RESOLVED, That the Department of Public Health shall be the
5 lead agency on the Task Force and that the citizen members of
6 the Task Force may be reimbursed for actual travel expenses;
7 and be it further
 
8     RESOLVED, That the Safe Patient Handling Task Force shall
9 submit a report to the General Assembly detailing its
10 recommendations and findings by January 1, 2008.