Full Text of HJR0061 95th General Assembly
HJ0061 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
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HJ0061 |
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LRB095 12007 KBJ 35616 r |
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| HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
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| 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
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| 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
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| WHEREAS, Health care workers are reported to lead the | 9 |
| nation in work-related musculoskeletal disorders; and
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| 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
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| WHEREAS, The use of proper body mechanics by health care | 15 |
| workers does not eliminate the risk of injury; and
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| 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
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HJ0061 |
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LRB095 12007 KBJ 35616 r |
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 2 |
| NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE | 3 |
| SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that the Illinois House of | 4 |
| Representatives and the Illinois Senate shall convene an | 5 |
| 11-member Safe Patient Handling Task Force; this task force | 6 |
| shall study safe patient handling policies and create | 7 |
| recommended policy guidelines for all health care facilities to | 8 |
| eliminate the manual lifting of patients by direct-care | 9 |
| registered nurses and other health care providers through the | 10 |
| use of mechanical devices, except in life-threatening | 11 |
| situations or in an emergency; the recommended policy | 12 |
| guidelines shall provide protection for registered nurses and | 13 |
| health care providers for refusal of assignment and a | 14 |
| whistleblower provision; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That the Safe Patient Handling Task Force shall | 16 |
| be comprised of the following members appointed by the Majority | 17 |
| and Minority Leaders of the House of Representatives and the | 18 |
| Senate: 2 members of the House of Representatives, 2 members of | 19 |
| the Senate,
one member of a statewide organization representing | 20 |
| registered professional nurses,
one direct care nurse | 21 |
| currently practicing in a hospital,
one direct care nurse | 22 |
| currently practicing in a long-term care setting,
one physician | 23 |
| licensed to practice medicine in all its branches, one physical | 24 |
| therapist,
one member of a statewide organization representing | 25 |
| hospitals, and
one member of a statewide organization |
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HJ0061 |
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LRB095 12007 KBJ 35616 r |
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| representing long-term care facilities; and be it further | 2 |
| RESOLVED, That the Safe Patient Handling Task Force shall | 3 |
| submit a report to the General Assembly detailing its | 4 |
| recommendations and findings by January 1, 2008.
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