Nurses and moving patients survey

[BrianUIUC]

So its really hard to get these lifts in tight spaces huh. How do you lift a patient manually and have them go to the bathroom without using a lift? I mean how much does the patient have to weigh before you think you'd rather use a lifting aid? For the hoyer lifts you are suppose to have two people use it right? But what if you are the only one?

[Ricu]

Brian, you ask really good questions. I wish I had the answers. Speaking for myself, I'm a pretty strong person who has handled fairly heavy patients. Whether or not it's safe, it's my preference to transfer patients by holding onto them in bearhug fashion rather than the gait belt(which is always in place as per protocol). I have never lost control of a patient or been in a situation where safety has been jeopardized. That said, I HAVE declined when asked to move patients who I have not felt safe moving. For so many reasons, eqipment or not, I suppose the safe transfer of patients really boils down to the immeasurable value of instinct.

R

[BrianUIUC]

Thanks again Ricu! It sounds like if you do it right everything is fine, but what situations would influence someone to take a shortcut or not decline when moving a patient? What happened to the patients that you declined to move? Did you get more nurses to help? Also when moving patients it sounds like moving from the bed to a chair or wheel chair requires the most strength. What are the types of equipment that might help a nurse do that transfer?

[Ricu]

The patients I have declined to move were medically unstable but still had orders to move so, it wasn't an equipment issue. When the patient is SO large, we use "hovermats" and additional manpower where I work. If not a stand and pivot, a Hoyer lift or that other thing I mentioned but can't remember the name of, is the only really appropriate equipment for chair to bed and back transfer that I know of.

R

[BrianUIUC]

My friend's mom, who used to be a nurse mentioned that moving a patient from the bed to the chair needed more strength than from bed to stretcher because it wasn't just lateral movement. But it also seems like there is a lot of turning or moving patients out of the bed to get them moving around and get their blood flowing.

When moving patients, how often do you find yourself not being able to find assistance during the month?

[Ricu]

Hey Brian,

Your mom is right. Simple lateral movements like bed to stretcher are least energy consuming especially when you use a slideboard or "slip." The slideboard is a lightweight, nylon, plastic board that straddles the two surfaces and you transfer the patient over it. This is a great help. The slip, or banana as we call it because it's yellow is a thing similar to the slideboard but isn't rigid in fact, it's very pliable. This is a simple nylon "bag" that slides on it's own two surfaces. You place it under the drawsheet and the sheet and patient glide more smoothly across the bed. It makes the patient more mobile than the slideboard but the board makes going from bed to stretcher easier.

Regarding the assistance question, there's always help available but sometimes, depending on how many helpers are needed, there is a wait time. Generally it isn't very long but can be frustrating when everything is interrupted or delayed.

R

[BrianUIUC]

Because of this wait time are nurses tempted to do the lift/move themselves? How often do you think that happens with other nurses? If you did remember what the equipment from bed to chair was, that would be also helpful, not that you haven't been very helpful.

[Ricu]

While it's tempting, I'm pretty sure most nurses would wait for the help they need rather than hurt their backs or injur the patient. I'll keep trying to think of the name of that lift but it's been a long time since I used it.

R

[BrianUIUC]

Thanks Ricu, I think right now I am wondering how does all the equipment and tubing interact with the lifting aids when performing the lift, or even when lifting manually. How are the tubes, such as the IV, keep organized and out of the way?

Do you sometimes find your self changing your posture to go around these obstacles when lifting?

[Ricu]

Thanks Ricu, I think right now I am wondering how does all the equipment and tubing interact with the lifting aids when performing the lift, or even when lifting manually. How are the tubes, such as the IV, keep organized and out of the way?

Do you sometimes find your self changing your posture to go around these obstacles when lifting?

Hi Brian,

Sorry it took so long to answer you but I was away for a few weeks. Tubing is always an issue, especially where I work. Endotracheal tubes, triple lumen catheters, arterial lines, IVs, surgical drains, chest tubes, feeding tubes, foley catheters, not to mention monitor cables. It takes deliberate planning when moving a critical patient including how you position yourself and your equipment. I try to avoid posture and position changes mid-lift but there are times when it's necessary.

R