Evaluating the physical demands associated with IV pole use. The Holmes Lab has partnered with Lakeridge Health and Notion Medical Inc. to evaluate a new ergonomically designed IV Pole.
Nurses have one of the most physically demanding occupations, even more demanding than manual labour and construction work. Patient handling activities place considerable load on the back and shoulders and as a result of the repetitive nature of these tasks, the cumulative effects lead to a lot of work-related injuries. There are some aspects of a nurse’s job that we cannot change or make safer, but every task that can be improved by ergonomic design could result in lower stress placed on the body, which can ultimately lead to a reduction in injury rates. The newly designed IV pole by Notion Medical is a step in this direction and the results of our preliminary testing are extremely positive.
Dr. Holmes has presented this work at the 2014 Musculoskeletal Injury Day for Hospital Ergonomists.
Dr. Holmes was recently invited to present this work at the 2014 HealthAchieve Conference. HealthAchieve is the signature conference and exhibition of the Ontario Hospital Association. HealthAchieve is one of the largest and most respected health care events in North America.