Date of Graduation

2000

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

Committee Chair

Michael J. Klishis

Abstract

The primary objective of this research thesis was to identify the root causal factors associated with lost time injuries occurring among nursing personnel in long term care facilities. The critical elements assessed and evaluated include: length of service; time of day injury occurred; task being completed when injury occurred; similar incidents in the past (accident repeaters); type of shift on which injury occurred; number of hours worked the day injury occurred; impact of company policy; availability of mechanical lifts; training on how and when to use mechanical lifts; exercise; stretching; training on safe lifting techniques or good body mechanics; gait belt use; hours per week worked at time of injury; number of residents cared for at time of injury; asking for assistance to lift, transfer, or reposition a resident; and job satisfaction. Nineteen of thirty-five nursing assistants from three separate long term care facilities in northwestern Pennsylvania responded to twenty-one questions on a nursing assistant questionnaire. Results from each of the questions were used in developing critical elements to be evaluated within the research thesis. The critical elements above have been individually assessed and analyzed through the classification of risk severity and probability. The classification of risk severity and probability extending into a decision matrix is a form of root cause analysis known as risk analysis. The risk assessment process ranked all of the critical elements evaluated into the following three corrective action categories: risk reduction required immediately; written, time-limited waiver by management required; and operation permissible-needs no reduction. Root causal factors have been identified as those critical elements that had a risk severity and probability outcome requiring either a written, time limited waiver endorsed by management or risk reduction required immediately as the applicable corrective action category. The research revealed the following critical elements to be an indirect failure within the management system and root causal factors associated with nursing assistants injured when lifting, transferring, or repositioning nursing home residents: number of hours worked the day injury occurred; impact of company policy; training on how and when to use a mechanical lift; how long ago training was conducted on mechanical lifts; stretching; gait belt use; hours per week worked at time of injury; job satisfaction; training on safe lifting techniques or good body mechanics; number of residents cared for at time of injury; and asking for assistance to lift, transfer, or reposition a resident. The research thesis has identified root causal factors and produced recommendations that will enable the implementation of corrective measures necessary to decrease lost-time injuries occurring among nursing personnel working in long term care facilities.

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