Patient lifting equipment and needles with safety devices are more prevalent today than 10 years ago in healthcare facilities, contributing to a safer overall work environment for RNs, according to a new survey by the American Nurses Association.

However, the survey also found that more can be done to reduce hazards and promote a workplace culture that prioritizes nurses’ health and safety.

The 2011 Health and Safety Survey (http://bit.ly/vqEUJ3) shows nursing remains tough on the body, with 80% of nurses reporting they continue to work frequently despite neck, back or shoulder pain caused by the job. Also, 13% of respondents said they had been injured three or more times on the job within a year, compared with 7% in 2001.

The survey, which drew responses from 4,614 RNs, reveals the same top three work environment concerns as in a similar 2001 ANA survey: the acute or chronic effects of stress and overwork (74% of respondents); disabling musculoskeletal injury (62%); and risk of contracting an infectious disease (43%).

The ANA noted that a healthier, safer workplace is crucial to building and maintaining an adequate nursing workforce, which has suffered from recurring shortages. Several recent studies have shown that dissatisfaction with the nursing work environment — including stressful working conditions leading to burnout, heavy physical demands and difficult work schedules — influences nurses’ decisions to leave direct-care nursing. The ANA said its survey supports these findings, indicating nearly six in 10 nurses agree that health and safety concerns influence their decision to continue practicing in the nursing field.

“Healthcare employers must ensure a safe and healthy work environment if they wish to recruit and retain nurses, who are key to the delivery of high-quality patient care,” ANA President Karen A. Daley, RN, PhD, MPH, FAAN, said in a news release. “Everyone has a role to play in changing the culture to put safety first. No one should have to go to work and worry that they are putting their health in jeopardy given what we know about prevention strategies.”

Nearly two-thirds of nurses said they have ready access to patient lifting and transfer devices, compared to less than half in 2001. The ANA’s “Handle With Care” campaign (http://bit.ly/tkQ5sI) seeks to eliminate manual patient handling to prevent injuries and musculoskeletal disorders. But even though the devices are more available, fewer than one-third of nurses said they use them frequently, suggesting that selection and placement of patient lift and transfer devices should be evaluated. Increased education and changes in workplace culture may also help increase safety.

Healthcare employers have been more accountable in providing safe needle devices, with 96% of RN respondents saying they are available, compared to 82% in 2001. The ANA’s “Safe Needles Save Lives” campaign (http://bit.ly/s99KN4) seeks to reduce incidences of needlestick injuries that expose nurses to bloodborne pathogens. But the survey shows that RNs may benefit from a better understanding of their rights under the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act (http://bit.ly/sgxVwe), which requires that direct-care professionals participate in identifying and selecting safer needle devices: 62% either do not know whether nurses are involved in the selection process, or say they are not involved.

Although concerns about on-the-job physical assault have increased since 2001, from 25% to 34%, the percentage of RNs who said they were assaulted decreased from 17% to 11%. The majority of nurses again said they have been verbally abused or threatened on the job within a year, although the occurrence rate decreased to 52% from 57% in 2001.

Overall, the survey shows a trend toward healthier work schedules. The percentage of nurses working more than 40 hours per week decreased from 64% to 55%, and RNs who work some mandatory or unplanned overtime each month decreased from 68% to 53%.