Support Lift Team Legislation!

Have you or any of your colleagues ever been injured while lifting or turning a patient? Then you know how difficult—and dangerous—this aspect of our jobs can be. As he has in the past, state Sen. Don Perata has introduced a bill, S.B. 171, to address this crisis by requiring hospitals to establish a zero lift policy. S.B. 171 would help prevent the back, neck and shoulder injuries caused by lifting patients without the proper help. Let's keep dedicated, highly trained professionals at the bedside—not at home recovering from injuries—and help recruit new nurses to our profession. In an era of serious nursing shortages, we need every nurse healthy and working in order to care for patients. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed this type of bill several times, but we’re not giving up! You can take action today to urge passage of lift team legislation.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Please Support S.B. 171

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

As a member of the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals, I'm writing to ask for your support of S.B. 171, Sen. Don Perata's legislation on lift teams.

I'm a health care worker, and I know how difficult and dangerous lifting patients can be. It is the major cause of injury and lost time for nurses and other health care workers. In fact, health care workers lead the nation in work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

S.B. 171 would address this crisis by requiring hospitals to establish a zero lift policy, which would eliminate unassisted manual lifting for all shifts by utilizing lift teams as well as lift devices and equipment. It would also ensure health care providers get the training they need to reduce lift-related injuries. This type of injury prevention plan for lifting and moving patients protects both health care workers and our patients.

With our nursing workforce aging, and our patient population getting older, sicker and heavier, now is the time to make sure all hospitals have lift teams. S.B. 171 would help prevent the back, neck and shoulder injuries caused by lifting patients without the proper help. The bill would address the nursing shortage by keeping dedicated, highly trained professionals at the bedside--not at home recovering from injuries--and help recruit new nurses to our profession.

As a union member, I have workplace safety provisions in my union contract, but my colleagues and I need strong laws to back us up. We also want all health care professionals--whether or not they are in a union--to benefit from lift teams.

In an era of serious nursing shortages, we need every nurse healthy and working in order to care for patients.

Thank you for taking the time to consider my comments, and please vote for S.B. 171.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
March 26, 2007

Background Information

Have you or any of your colleagues ever been injured while lifting or turning a patient? Then you know how difficult—and dangerous—this aspect of our job can be. It is the major cause of injury and lost time for nurses and other health care workers. In fact, health care workers lead the nation in work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

As he has in the past, state Sen. Don Perata has introduced a bill, S.B. 171, to address this crisis by requiring hospitals to establish a zero lift policy. S.B. 171 would help prevent the back, neck and shoulder injuries caused by lifting patients without the proper help. It would eliminate unassisted manual lifting for all shifts by utilizing lift teams as well as lift devices and equipment. It would also ensure health care providers get the training they need to reduce lift-related injuries.

The bill would address the nursing shortage by keeping dedicated, highly trained professionals at the bedside—not at home recovering from injuries—and help recruit new nurses to our profession. In an era of serious nursing shortages, we need every nurse healthy and working in order to care for patients. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed this type of bill several times, but we’re not giving up!

Many of us have workplace safety provisions in our union contracts, but we need strong laws to back us up. We also want all health care professionals—whether or not they are in a union—to benefit from lift teams.