BODY MECHANICS NRSB 311 BASIC BACKSAVING TIPS Lift

BODY MECHANICS NRSB 311

BASIC BACK-SAVING TIPS Lift with your legs Bend Hug at your knees the load Avoid twisting; keep a straight back Avoid lifting higher than chest level Get help if you need it!

BARRIERS TO BACK SAFETY Equipment is difficult to use Poor equipment maintenance Shortage of equipment Inadequate training for equipment use Equipment weight limitations Staffing challenges Room space Equipment storage / inconvenient location Time and effort to use equipment vs. manually Fatalistic view of patient handling injuries Wardell (2007). Reduction of injuries associated with patient handling. AAOHN journal, 55(10), 407 -412

Use Mobility Devices and Seek Assistance!

Gait Belt Available on all of the CSR carts Should be used anytime you are walking or transferring a patient who has questionable gait or stability Safest for both the patient and for the nurse/nursing assistant Physical therapy is available for gait belt demonstrations

PATIENT SLIDE BOARD /TRANSFER BOARD Found on unit Should be used anytime you are transferring a patient from cart to bed Need two people for safety e. g. nurse/nursing assistant

Hovermatt Go to http: //www. hovermatt. com/d emonstration_videos. html for videos which demonstrate how the hovermatt is used or on the bariatric resource manual on the intranet Need to locate the air source – usually available on bariatric floor and in CSR Currently using disposable hovermatts on bariatric patients. (Working on getting them stocked on each cart or at least available in CSR) SAFETY!! Make sure side rails are up before inflating hovermatt!!!

Hover. Jack Used to raise a bariatric patient off of the floor Must place Hovermatt on top prior to inflation. Go to: http: //www. hovermatt. com/d emonstration_videos. html for video demonstration

E-Z Lift Similar device to Hoyer Lift Used to lift patients from bed to chair and back. Can also lift patient off of the floor 600 lb weight limit Operation instructions attached to lift

EZ Way Stand Used primarily to assist patients from a sitting to a standing position while also supporting them Weight limit is 500 lbs Operation instructions usually attached to stand or found on manufacturer website

Stretch Chair Available primarily in ICUs Used for patients who are non-weight bearing Patient is moved over from bed to stretch chair via slide board or Hovermatt

FAST FACTS 1 in 15 nurses will experience a back injury serious enough to interfere with their professional career 80, 000 nurses take time off each year because of back injuries -- of which 3, 600 never return to their profession One study found that the highest annual incidence rate of all low back pain in working nurses occurs during their first year of employment Nurses, with the sole exception of workers in heavy industry, suffer the greatest incidence of low back pain than any other group of workers