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HJ0061 |
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LRB095 12007 KBJ 35616 r |
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| HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION
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| WHEREAS, Patients are at greater risk of injury, including |
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| skin tears, falls, and musculoskeletal injuries, while being |
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| lifted, transferred, or repositioned manually; and
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| WHEREAS, Safe patient handling can reduce skin tears |
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| suffered by patients by threefold and can significantly reduce |
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| other injuries to patients as well; and
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| WHEREAS, Health care workers are reported to lead the |
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| nation in work-related musculoskeletal disorders; and
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| WHEREAS, Between 38% and 50% of nurses and other health |
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| care workers will suffer a work-related back injury during |
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| their career; 42% of these workers will be unable to return to |
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| work in their pre-injury job; and
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| WHEREAS, The use of proper body mechanics by health care |
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| workers does not eliminate the risk of injury; and
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| WHEREAS, Assistive patient handling equipment and devices |
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| have essentially rendered the act of strict manual patient |
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| handling unnecessary as a function of nursing care; therefore, |
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| be it
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HJ0061 |
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LRB095 12007 KBJ 35616 r |
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| RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE |
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| NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, THE |
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| SENATE CONCURRING HEREIN, that the Illinois House of |
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| Representatives and the Illinois Senate shall convene an |
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| 11-member Safe Patient Handling Task Force; this task force |
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| shall study safe patient handling policies and create |
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| recommended policy guidelines for all health care facilities to |
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| eliminate the manual lifting of patients by direct-care |
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| registered nurses and other health care providers through the |
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| use of mechanical devices, except in life-threatening |
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| situations or in an emergency; the recommended policy |
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| guidelines shall provide protection for registered nurses and |
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| health care providers for refusal of assignment and a |
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| whistleblower provision; and be it further
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| RESOLVED, That the Safe Patient Handling Task Force shall |
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| be comprised of the following members appointed by the Majority |
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| and Minority Leaders of the House of Representatives and the |
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| Senate: 2 members of the House of Representatives, 2 members of |
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| the Senate,
one member of a statewide organization representing |
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| registered professional nurses,
one direct care nurse |
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| currently practicing in a hospital,
one direct care nurse |
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| currently practicing in a long-term care setting,
one physician |
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| licensed to practice medicine in all its branches, one physical |
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| therapist,
one member of a statewide organization representing |
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| hospitals, and
one member of a statewide organization |