Incident at Work- Moving a Patient

And the country, please?

Ireland

It's an occupational hazard of nursing...the one who didn't lift should be punched in the face given some training.
I've seen several nurses wearing support belts like Olympic weight lifters wear.

No one is negligent it's an accident...even with all the training in the world and reams of paperwork these things happen... a moments distraction...not hearing the count...what ever...stuff happens.
Maybe if the hospital had fewer administrators they could afford more nurses... but it's difficult to apply more man power to this sort of manoeuvre (or should that be 'person-power' and 'personoeuvre'

I've often seen an individual nurse perform this sort of thing...

Del

Good answer,

My girlfriend is a LPN (Licensed Practical Nurse) and works in a retirement factility (for 27 years).

Yeas ago when she was just a CNA (Certified Nurseing Assistant) She had to do that quite often. Now they do have a lift.

You are right, the one who didn't lift should be punched in the face given some training.

phoenix911

It totally depends on the location, Who the employees are etc. and the facility they work in.

Some countries have regulations based on workers compensation , or Occupational Safety standards. Each employer and supervisor is also responsible for the safety of the workers.

There are a number of possible people at fault;

• Had proper safe standards been tested, approved, and implemented. Had the workers been trained in the procedure? Had the workers been trained in the proper ergonomics of heavy lifting? What kind of follow up was done?
• Did the lift leader confirm the assistant was ready? Did the lift leader use the proper procedure.
• Was the lift readily available and easy to use?
• I would seriously question the worker that did not lift since the workers inaction and negligence not only could cause an injury, but did cause an injury.

This is a dangerous situation to all the other workers that happens to be teamed up with the assistant. Avoidance of another accident is worth firing the worker, if the standards, company, training, or supervisor is without fault.

There is also danger of the two man lift if the patient wiggles or moves at the wrong time. Unfortunately many nurses and aids careers and backs are ruined by these situations. Only strict compliance to any safety standards or procedures will reduce this. If people are still being hurt, the procedures and standards need to be improved.

Here in Canada the public service should not lift more then 35lbs without assistance, while the military has a 75lbs standard.

Was the patient an attorney?

Who was nominated for an Oscar?

I would punch the slacker in the face suggest that a modified approach to the "two man lift" be tried. Instead of 1 2 3 lift method, let the two attendees start to move at the designated signal, slowly and gradually. If the people jerk to move the patient, and one does not pull his or her share the risk of injury is going to be greater than if the one person were to pull slowly.

The two attendees need to be reassigned. The risk of a repeat is great. Would you want to help move a patient with the attendee with the sore face who neglected to lift? I hope this helps.

Hi Bob,

I am afraid you are wrong in this aspect. Having seen the way my bed ridden Mother in Law being moved, I think jerk action is necessary in case of heavy patients. When you see the manner in which weight lifters lift weights it is obvious.

I sure agree the two attendants need reassignment and training. I would suggest aerobics and/or synchronous weight lifting!!

How big was the patient? Short and heavy, tall and slender, tall and heavy, or short and light? How about using a visual signal (nod of the head) instead of a audible one if the environment is noisy? Did the one giving the signal ask the other assistant is he or she knew how to move a patient before asking for his or her help? Was the door to the patient's room open to allow noise to come in from the hall, and if so, why didn't they close the door to give the patient privacy during the move, especially if the patient was wearing a standard hospital gown (which is more like an oversized bib than a real gown)?

OK, I'll put away my pot-stirring spoon now.

And the ENGINEERING question is ...what?

The procedure could undergo some improvement before going to the extreme of a lift. Lifts of course would be wonderful, but trying to supply one for each bed in each room would be financially impossible for most hospitals.

The proper process is to lower the bed first. There is/should be an extra sheet under the patient that is not attached to the bed. This runs from the knee up to at least the shoulders. The nurses grab this on each side and pull it out taught. Counting is perfectly acceptable, but on whatever the signal is, they both pull outward, upward slightly, and then toward the head of the bed. The bed is then adjusted back to the sitting position. This method is much easier on the nurse and injury is avoided even if the other doesn't lift. Using this method, due to the way in which the weight and forces are applied, two small people can easily move a large person without receiving injury. Trying to lift the patients body directly is a sure recipe for injured nurses and is unacceptable practice in any American hospital or convalescent care center.