Christiana Care recognized as leader in safe patient handling

Christiana Care recognized as leader in safe patient handling

PEEPS program excels at safe patient handling, education and program development.

Christiana Care Health System has been recognized by the Tampa VA Research & Education Foundation Inc. (TVAREF) with the Audrey Nelson Best Practices Award in Safe Patient Handling. The award acknowledges Christiana Care’s comprehensive safe patient handling (PEEPS) program as a national leader for its commitment to staff education and development of safe patient handling best practices.

In a hospital, “patient handling” is the term used to describe the process of moving patients, such as when a patient needs bathing, wound care, linen changes or to be transferred from one bed to another. Nationally, patient handling is a leading cause of on-the-job injuries to nurses.

The Employee Injury Prevention/PEEPS team efforts began at Christiana Care 15 years ago, with multiple initiatives to enhance employee safety during patient handling and mobilization tasks. Christiana Care PEEPS educators are credentialed professionals dedicated to the safety and comfort of caregivers and their patients. The PEEPS team has set the trend in safe patient handling with their successful collaborative efforts with other departments.

“The PEEPS staff not only provides the initial and ongoing evaluation on safe patient handling practices, but also serves as a day-to-day resource for addressing individual patient challenges,” said Diane Talarek, MA, RN, NE-BC, senior vice president, Patient Care Services and chief nursing officer.

“The PEEPS department is credited with introducing the transformational safe patient handling practices that are now considered best practices in health care,” said Bob Mulrooney, vice president of Facilities and Services. “Their exceptional collaborative efforts keep our caregivers safe and prevent countless debilitating injuries.”

The TVAREF is a nonprofit organization established to advance the research and education missions of the Department of Veterans Affairs through the support of research and education activities at The James A. Haley VA Healthcare System and other VA entities in the Tampa, Florida region.

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