Readers reply: Premium comparison and safe patient handling

April 21st, 2006 by Julie Ferguson

State Premium Ranking – Thanks to Mike Manley for pointing us to the 2004 Oregon Workers’ Compensation Premium Rate Ranking Summary, which offers a comparison of premium by state. Mike is the Research Coordinator at the Information Management Division of Oregon’s Department of Consumer and Business Services. He also points us to some other workers comp studies that look very valuable – thanks, Mike.
Safe patient handling – Ann Hudson, RN, BSN commented on our recent post about Washington passes “Safe Patient Handling” legislation, noting that: “Substantial savings could be realized by insurance carriers and employers, and the nurse shortage could be eased, if workers’ comp carriers assisted employers to retain back-injured nurses in other non-lifting nursing positions.”
Her comment led us to the Working Injured Nurses Group or WING USA, a site that provides information, advice, and support to injured nurses. Anne is a founder of this group as well as co-author of Back Injury Among Healthcare Workers: Causes, Solutions, and Impacts. She has been active in championing the cause of back-injured nurses – both in terms of prevention and also in advocating for reemployment of injured nurses in positions that don’t require lifting.
We appreciate informed comments from our readers. If you have resources, information, or just opinions, we encourage you to jump in!

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