Patient Handling: Conditions and Restrictions

Date: Wednesday February 20, 2008
Time: 2:00 PM
Place: Shelby 3210

Grady Talley Holman
Recent graduate of ISE PhD program

Biography

Industry Experience:   I spent 5+ years as a frontline supervisor for Shaw Industries. However, I spent more than 50% of my time during my last 3 years with the company managing or participating in projects or on committees utilizing engineering principles of safety, ergonomics, optimization, and lean manufacturing. During this time I was allowed to expand my skill set through extra courses/seminars.

Education: In Summer of 1995, I graduated with a B.S. in Manufacturing, Industrial Management and a B.S., Physics from Georgia Southern University. Industrial Management classes focused on lean manufacturing fundamentals and the Physics was primarily oriented around foundations in research. In fall of 2001, I left Shaw Industries after 5 years to return to school at Auburn University for my M.S. in Industrial & Systems Engineering. Shortly after that I enrolled in a joint M.S./M.B.A. program. In the summer of 2004, I graduated with both a M.S. in Industrial & Systems Engineering and a M.B.A. The following semester I re-enrolled at Auburn for my Doctorate in Industrial & Systems Engineering to study occupational injury in nursing, expanding on my human factors, ergonomics, and biomechanics background. In December 2007, my doctorate was completed.

Abstract

Patient Handling: Conditions and Restrictions
This is a three part study examining the conditions and restrictions that confound or control a patient lift.   (Grant: American Society of Safety Engineers Foundation, 2005)   (Presented: ASSE - Seattle, 2006).

Relevance to general industry: The core research presented here has many practical applications, since it is essentially an investigation of how work is effected when space is restricted. The research goal was to quantify the effects of space restriction. The application presented here applies to the healthcare industry. However, other industries, such as mining, construction, and oil and gas to name a few, could also potentially benefit from this type of information. Information that could be applied to scheduling, costs, safety, and facility design.

Part I: A descriptive study of the conditions and restriction effecting patient handling. Study utilized focus groups, interviews, and literature to determine areas and influence and associated factors within each area. (complete) (Publication: National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) Young/New Investigators Symposium, 2006)

Part II: A survey of 1000 of the 49,000 registered nurses in the state of Alabama to explore general health, perceptions, training, and opinions related to patient handling. See the links at the bottom of the page for survey. (complete)(Publication: Submitted, 2006, 2007)

Part III: A biomechanics laboratory study of the impact of situations, conditions, and/or restrictions as dictated by the survey results of part I and II. Specifically, this part of the study will look at the effects of space restriction on a patient lift. For this experiment, the entire biomechanics laboratory had to be redesigned and rebuilt, upgrading the current programs and equipment so that they may be integrated. Below, a model of the new laboratory may be seen. Currently, all testing is complete with results pending submission for publication.