Factors affecting compliance with moving and handling policy: Student nurses’ views and experiences

The limited literature available suggests that there continues to be poor compliance by nurses with moving and handling regulations [Swain, J., Pufahl, E., Williamson, G., 2003. Do they practise what we teach? A survey of manual handling practice amongst student nurses. Journal of Clinical Nursing 12(2), 297–306; Jootun, D., MacInnes, A., 2005. Examining how well students use correct handling procedures. Nursing Times 101(4), 38–40; Smallwood, J., 2006. Patient handling: student nurses’ views. Learning in Health and Social Care 5(4), 208–219; Cornish, J., Jones, A., 2007. Evaluation of moving and handling training for pre-registration nurses and its application to practice. Nurse Education in Practice 7(3), 128–134]. This paper presents the final phase of a study in which student nurses’ reports of their experience in practice are drawn upon to identify possible reasons for a lack of compliance with moving and handling policy.

Focus groups were conducted using a topic guide comprising themes generated from the previous two phases of this study; a questionnaire survey and unstructured interviews [Cornish, J., Jones, A., 2007. Evaluation of moving and handling training for pre-registration nurses and its application to practice. Nurse Education in Practice 7(3), 128–134]. Seventeen pre-registration students participated, representing adult, child and mental health branches from both Degree and Diploma programmes

Examples of poor practice set the context for the students’ experiences. Factors affecting both compliance with poor practice or compliance with moving and handling regulations leading to good practice, are identified. Methods for the management of difficult moving and handling situations are also revealed. The study informs future developments in training and support mechanisms for students in practice.