An Ergonomic Protocol for Patient Transfer That Can Be Successfully Taught Using Simulation Methods

IntroductionNursing personnel injury related to patient transfer is epidemic, and reduction of injury rates is a national priority. Hierarchical task analysis (HTA) was chosen to address this issue.MethodHTA methods were used to create an optimum task set and protocol which consisted of Internet-based education, simulation practice, and debriefing. Participants (N = 71) were randomly assigned to teams to perform simulated transfers. Pre- to postintervention transfer success was evaluated by ergonomic experts.ResultsEach team improved significantly from pre- to postintervention (N = 19), with every protocol step demonstrating improvement (N = 10). Interrater reliability of the evaluation instrument was calculated (.43–.83).ConclusionSimulation was used successfully to improve transfer success. This approach shows promise in reduction of transfer-related nursing injury.