3.3 Body Mechanics Resources
There are many resources available to help you stay safe at work. Back Talk: An Owner’s Manual for Backs from WorkSafeBC (2014) is an especially useful resource for Health Care Assistants. It provides information about the care and maintenance of your back.
To better understand the importance of posture, watch the following video.
The benefits of good posture – Murat Dalkilinç, by TED-Ed (2015) video.
Summary
Good body mechanics can save you energy and prevent injury as you work as an HCA. Back, wrist, and shoulder injuries are all too common among health care workers; using correct body mechanics and keeping physically fit can help reduce such injuries. In fact, proper body mechanics should be applied to all areas of your life.
Chapter 3 Attributions and References
Image Attributions
- Figure 3.2.1 Centre of Gravity by Doyle and McCutcheon (2015), via Wikimedia Commons, is used under a CC BY 4.0 licence.
- Figure 3.2.2 Equilibrium Principle image on Table 3.2 Principles of Body Mechanics from Doyle and McCutcheon (2015) is used under a CC BY 4.0 licence.
- Figure 3.2.3 Home Care Transfer Pivot by BruceBlaus, via Wikimedia Commons, is used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.
- Figure 3.2.4 Torn Rotator Cuff by Nucleus Communications, via Wikimedia Commons, is used under a CC BY SA-4.0 licence.
- Figure 3.2.5 Poor body mechanics by Kim Morris, HCA Program/ Thompson Rivers University, is used under a CC BY 2.0 licence.
- Figure 3.3.1 Back pain by David Cross, via Flickr, is used under a CC-BY-NC-SA 2.0 licence.
Video
- The benefits of good posture – Murat Dalkilinç, by TED-Ed (2015) is licensed under a Standard YouTube License.
References
Berman, A., & Snyder, S. J. (2016). Skills in clinical nursing (8th ed.). Pearson.
Interior Health Authority (2011). Safe patient handling. Patient handling injury prevention program. http://www.interiorhealth.ca/information.aspx?id=12726&terms=injury+prevention
Perry, A. G., Potter, P. A., & Ostendorf, W. R. (2018). Clinical nursing skills and techniques (9th ed.). Elsevier-Mosby.
Registered Nursing. (n.d.). Ergonomic principles: NCLEX-RN. https://www.registerednursing.org/nclex/ergonomic-principles/
TED-Ed. (2015, July 30). The benefits of good posture – Murat Dalkilinç (Video). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyK0oE5rwFY
Thomas, D., McMahon, A., & Thomas, Y. L. (2012). Figure 4.1 [image]. In Moving and handling guidelines 2012 (p. 88). Accident Compensation Corporation/ACC New Zealand. http://www.acc.co.nz/assets/provider/acc6075-moving-and-handling-people-guidelines.pdf
Workers’ Compensation Board of British Columbia (2009). Understanding the risks of musculoskeletal injury (MSI); An educational guide for workers on sprains, strains and other MSI’s. (pp. 1–3). Workers’ Compensation Board of B.C. https://www.worksafebc.com/en/resources/health-safety/books-guides/understanding-the-risks-of-musculoskeletal-injury-msi-an-educational-guide-for-workers-on-sprains-strains-and-other-msis?lang=en
WorkSafeBC. (2008). Understanding the risks of musculoskeletal injury (MSI): An educational guide for workers on sprains, strains, and other MSIs. http://www.worksafebc.com/publications/Health_and_Safety/by_topic/assets/pdf/msi_workers.pdf.
WorkSafeBC. (2013). Preventing musculoskeletal injury (MSI). http://www.worksafebc.com/publications/health_and_safety/by_topic/assets/pdf/msi_employers.pdf.
WorkSafeBC. (2014, December). Back talk: An owner’s manual for backs [PDF]. https://www.worksafebc.com/en/resources/health-safety/books-guides/back-talk-an-owners-manual-for-backs?lang=en
