Course Introduction

One major source of injury to healthcare workers is musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). In 2010, nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants had the highest rates of MSDs. There were more than 27 thousand cases, which equals to an incidence rate (IR) of 249 per 10,000 workers. This is more than seven times the average for all industries.

In comparison, the rate for days-away from work due to MSDs for construction laborers was just 85. For laborers and freight, stock and material movers the rate was 154, still far lower than that of nursing aides and orderlies.

This course will take an in-depth look at the risks of patient handling in the medical field, as well as the potential hazards and solutions to protect those working in this field. We will also discuss other hazards, such as radiation exposure and latex allergies. This course will also look at employee training and education to protect them from several risks in the healthcare setting.

This is a lot of information! Let’s get started with the first module!

Go to the first module!

To begin your online study, just click on the "Modules" link above. To study off-line, click on the "Study Guide" link above and download the PDF study guide. Download Adobe Reader to open the study guide. The study guide is for your personal use only.

Modules

To begin your training, click on the module links below. If you are just starting this course, you should start with module 1.

1. The Risks of Safe Patient Handling
2. Hazards and Solutions
3. Other Hazards
4. Education and Training

Please login to your student dashboard to access and download this FREE course PDF studyguide. You can save this study guide to your computer for offline studying, or print the study guide if you prefer.

Course 772 Final Exam

After studying the course material and answering the quiz questions, it is time to take the final exam. We highly recommend answering the module quiz questions to check your understanding of the course material. The final exam questions are typically developed from these quiz questions.

OSHAcademy course final exams are designed to make sure students have gained a sufficient understanding of the content covered within each course. To help demonstrate this understanding, students must achieve a passing score on course final exams. It is OSHAcademy's policy to protect the integrity of our exams: as a result, we do not provide missed questions to students.

This is an open book exam. Students are permitted to use a separate browser window to review course content while taking the exam. If you do not pass a final exam, you will see a "Retake Exam" button next to the course on your student dashboard.

If you have already paid for your certificate

If you have already paid for certificates, your exam score will be displayed on your student dashboard after successfully passing the final exam. If you chose PDF certificates, you can view and print your certificate and personal transcript from your student dashboard. If you chose original printed documents, they will be prepared and mailed to the address in your student account.

If you only want free training

OSHAcademy provides free access to all training materials, including course modules, practice quizzes, exercises, and final exams. However, exam scores, certificates, and transcripts are provided only if you purchase a certificate package to document your training. If you do not require official training documentation, we will archive your exam results should you decide to purchase official certificates later.

Take the Final Exam

Endnotes

1. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (2014a). Safe Patient Handling. Retrieved from: https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/healthcarefacilities/safepatienthandling.html

2. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (2014b). OSHA Nursing ETool. Retrieved from: https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/nursinghome/index.html

3. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. (2014c). OSHA Safe Patient Handling ETool. Retrieved from: https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/hospital/hazards/ergo/ergo.html#residenthandlingprogram

4. Association of Occupational Health Professionals (2011). Beyond Getting Started. Retrieved from: http://www.aohp.org/aohp/Portals/0/Documents/AboutAOHP/BGS_Summer2011.pdf

Additional Resources

• Worker Safety in Hospitals,OSHA
• Safe Patient Handling, NIOSH
• Preventing Back Injuries in the Healthcare Setting, NIOSH Science Blog
• Strains, Sprains, and Pains in Home Healthcare, NIOSH Science Blog
• Preventing Musculoskeletal Disorders in Nursing Homes, OSHA
• CDC A-Z Index of Terms