Prioritizing safe patient handling: The American Nurses Association's Handle With Care Campaign

Nurses continue to suffer debilitating injuries secondary to manual patient handling. Patient care ergonomics has emerged to redesign patient care with reduced exposure to physical hazards. Safe patient handling programs are being increasingly accepted by healthcare organizations to prevent occupational injury and to enhance patient safety. The authors discuss national-level efforts to promote patient care ergonomics principles and safe patient handling programs and their impact on nursing shortages and quality patient care.