Our healthcare heroes work high-pressure, fast-paced jobs. However, the stress is more than mental. Nurses, physician’s assistants, and other caregivers bend, lift, and twist numerous times a day. As patients are often seated or lying down, healthcare staff endure repetitive strain to treat them. Tasks such as blood draws, IV placement, and transferring patients with low mobility are physiologically stressful.
That’s why medical chairs and beds must bridge the gap between patient comfort and caregiver accessibility. Recent healthcare design trends have emphasized ergonomics as well as patient needs. Here are a few ways medical furniture companies are improving their products — and how to choose patient-first furniture for your organization.
Ergonomic Medical Chairs Reduce Repetitive Strain
Just as an office worker might develop carpal tunnel syndrome from typing all day, a healthcare worker may develop back problems from near-constant lifting and bending. Both are Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSI) that can seriously disrupt a caregiver’s efficiency and well-being.
RSIs contribute to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) such as trigger finger, slipped discs, and bursitis. These can be highly detrimental if left untreated. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that caregivers have the second-highest rate of work days lost to MSDs (with freight movers ranking highest).
The best way to prevent RSIs and their effects is to minimize repetitive motion. But if that’s not possible, it’s vital to avoid overexertion and reduce the impact of strenuous movement.
Nurses, PAs, and other medical staff frequently bend over to administer medications, check sutures and IVs, and perform other critical tasks. Often, they must navigate ill-designed medical seating as well as a maze of tubes and cables. The consistent twisting and bending accumulate into physiological trouble.
Patient chairs with a higher seat reduce the amount a caregiver must bend down — and therefore the strain on their back. Pivoting or fold-down arms ensure that nurses can achieve proper leverage, reducing the need to contort their limbs to assist patients. For example, Champion’s Inverness recliner allows the arms to swing away and the back to be fully adjusted, ensuring that caregivers can easily access and support patients.
Transitional Patient Seating Supports Caregiver Safety
Caregivers are vulnerable to RSIs because they often need to lift patients out of chairs, lower them into them, or transfer patients from bed to chair. This movement puts a heavy strain on their backs, shoulders, arms, and knees. Indeed, back injuries alone make up $20 billion in healthcare’s annual workplace injury costs.
Lifting and lowering transitions are often risky for the patient as well. They may be too fragile to withstand repeated lifts and manipulations from bed to toilet to bathtub to chair and back to their bed.
To solve this problem, some companies are engineering medical furniture to serve as chairs, stretchers, and beds — all in one. For example, the TMM4 PLUS “Stretcher-Chair” from TransMotion by Champion pulls triple-duty as a procedure chair, stretcher, and wheelchair. These innovative designs allow caregivers to seamlessly move patients from operating areas to recovery rooms.
Power-reclining and lift features minimize the need to physically maneuver patients with limited mobility. Adjustable heights help close the vertical gap between caregivers and patients. Transitional furniture also adapts to various procedures and applications, so caregivers can work more efficiently. That alone spares them unnecessary physiological and psychological stress.
Ergonomic Healthcare Seating Improves The Caregiver Experience
Of course, patients aren’t the only ones who need seating accommodations. Nurses and other caregivers may be on their feet for hours at a time, but when they do sit, they require comfortable, efficient solutions.
The new wave of medical furniture design features ergonomic task stools and chairs. A proper seat height, back support, and maneuverability help caregivers focus on patient care without neglecting their own comfort. The right design allows them to easily navigate and perform tasks within the clinical space.
There’s also something to be said for friendly, attractive furniture that looks like it’s meant for humans. Healthcare environments are stressful, and even small details such as comfortable materials and intuitive features can make a huge difference in workers’ mental wellness.
Champion Chairs Support Caregiver Ergonomics
As technology infuses healthcare facilities and caregivers juggle emerging patient needs, ergonomic furniture is critical to everyone’s safety and success. Medical seating must support both patients and staff, taking a human-friendly approach to what has traditionally been an artificial and restrictive design in healthcare.
Providers are adapting to contemporary medical techniques and public health issues. Thus, medical furniture must adapt as well.
Ergonomic medical chairs are the future of healthcare design. For a premium source of these innovative products, explore Champion’s collection of seating solutions that help protect our healthcare heroes.
