2005 Texas Health & Safety Code CHAPTER 256. SAFE PATIENT HANDLING AND MOVEMENT PRACTICES

HEALTH & SAFETY CODE

CHAPTER 256. SAFE PATIENT HANDLING AND MOVEMENT PRACTICES


	§ 256.001. DEFINITIONS.                                                     

Text of section effective January 1, 2006
	In this chapter:                                                               
		(1)  "Hospital" means a general or special hospital, as 
defined by Section 241.003, a private mental hospital licensed 
under Chapter 577, or another hospital that is maintained or 
operated by the state.
		(2)  "Nursing home" means an institution licensed under 
Chapter 242.        

Added by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., ch. 401, § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 2006.            


	§ 256.002. REQUIRED SAFE PATIENT HANDLING AND MOVEMENT 
POLICY.            

Text of section effective January 1, 2006
	(a)  The governing body of a hospital or the quality 
assurance committee of a nursing home shall adopt and ensure 
implementation of a policy to identify, assess, and develop 
strategies to control risk of injury to patients and nurses 
associated with the lifting, transferring, repositioning, or 
movement of a patient.
	(b)  The policy shall establish a process that, at a minimum, 
includes:      
		(1)  analysis of the risk of injury to both patients and 
nurses posed by the patient handling needs of the patient 
populations served by the hospital or nursing home and the physical 
environment in which patient handling and movement occurs;
		(2)  education of nurses in the identification, 
assessment, and control of risks of injury to patients and nurses 
during patient handling;
		(3)  evaluation of alternative ways to reduce risks 
associated with patient handling, including evaluation of 
equipment and the environment;
		(4)  restriction, to the extent feasible with existing 
equipment and aids, of manual patient handling or movement of all or 
most of a patient's weight to emergency, life-threatening, or 
otherwise exceptional circumstances;
		(5)  collaboration with and annual report to the nurse 
staffing committee;  
		(6)  procedures for nurses to refuse to perform or be 
involved in patient handling or movement that the nurse believes in 
good faith will expose a patient or a nurse to an unacceptable risk 
of injury;
		(7)  submission of an annual report to the governing 
body or the quality assurance committee on activities related to 
the identification, assessment, and development of strategies to 
control risk of injury to patients and nurses associated with the 
lifting, transferring, repositioning, or movement of a patient;  
and
		(8)  in developing architectural plans for 
constructing or remodeling a hospital or nursing home or a unit of a 
hospital or nursing home in which patient handling and movement 
occurs, consideration of the feasibility of incorporating patient 
handling equipment or the physical space and construction design 
needed to incorporate that equipment at a later date.

Added by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., ch. 401, § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 2006.