Program Overview
About the Recognition
The ANA Handle with Care Recognition Program™ was developed to help healthcare facilities promote their safe patient handling programs to their nurses and other front line healthcare workers as a major workforce safety initiative. In addition, the program will acknowledge those facilities with comprehensive safe patient handling programs and provide a competitive edge in the facilities’ efforts to recruit and retain nurses.
The Recognition:
Recognition will be awarded for a three year term. Recognition recipients will be eligible to utilize the program logo during the recognition term.
Healthcare facilities are required to submit annual update reports during the three year term. Additionally, any significant programmatic changes at the recognized facility, as outlined in the application manual, must be reported. Recipients must be in compliance with state and federal safe patient handling regulation at the time of application and throughout the recognition term.
What It Means For Your Facility
- Recognition will differentiate healthcare facilities as a leader in a safe patient handling and workforce safety initiative to aid in nurse recruitment and retention.
- National recognition from the American Nurses Association will indicate to nurses that the facility has invested in their safety and well-being.
- Recognition will provide healthcare facilities the opportunity to access local and national media exposure regarding it’s commitment to safe patient handling.
- Recognition will reinforce the healthcare facility’s commitment to patients, the community, donors and other stakeholders to work toward a safe environment leading to fostering quality health care.
- The program’s site evaluation process will provide a thorough assessment of the facility’s safe patient handling program based on ANA criteria and standards.
What It Means For Nurses
- Recognition will enhance nurses’ job satisfaction and ensure confidence in the healthcare facility as it meets the standards of the nation’s nursing leader, the American Nurses Association, for workplace safety in safe patient handling.
- Nurses in the community will want to work at a healthcare facility with an ANA recognized safe patient handling program ensuring their safety.
- If a safe patient handling program is new to a healthcare facility and that facility wants to start preparing for application to the program, nurses and other healthcare professionals will have an ideal to strive for as they train and adjust to the transition to safe patient handling.