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GRACE JUANICH BSN-RN,RM

SAFE

PATIENTHANDLING

Sitting up

And

Transferring

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Safe Patient HandlingIs the term referring to policies and programs that

enable nurses to move patients in a way that does

not cause strain or injury. The Occupational

Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

recommends that manual lifting of patients beminimized in all cases and eliminated when

feasible and that employers should put an

effective ergonomics process in place that

provides management, involves employees,identifies problems, implements solutions,

addresses injury reports, provides training,

and evaluates ergonomic efforts.

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Tips for Sitting Up in Bed:

Do: Raise the head of the bed.

Face patient with your feet side-by-side & a little

wider than shoulder width, toes pointing in

direction of movement.

Ask patient to turn toward you & get them to

assist by pushing on the bed.

Your hips should be in line with patients hips.

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Tips for Sitting Up in Bed

Do: Use firm pressure on the patients hip to

assist to sit

Use weight transfer from one leg to the other

(towards foot of bed) while pushing on the

patients hip to assist

Keep back upright with elbows close to

sides.

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Tips for Sitting Up in Bed

Do Not:

Sit patient up from lying flat.

Try to lift the patient.

Arch your back.

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Transferring

Moving a person from

one surface to another

(eg. Bed to chair/commode/wheelchair).

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Tips for Transferring

Do: Perform a pre-handling check.

Set up your equipment & route.

Put a transfer belt snugly on the patient.

Stand directly in front of patient.

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Tips for Transferring

Do: Stagger your feet about shoulder width apart &

one foot forward.

Bend your knees.

Get patient to shift their hips forward on bed/chair so their knees are ahead of their toes,

feet touching floor

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Tips for Transferring

Do:

Ask patient to lean forward.

Get patient to assist as much as possible with

legs and arms.

Use weight shift from one leg to another to

assist patient to stand; back straight, head up.

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Tips for Transferring

Do Not:Lift patients use a mechanical lift if the

patient cannot fully weight bear.

Perform fast or jerky movements.

Arch your back

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Tips for Transferring

Do Not:

Allow patient to hold onto your neck or upper

back.

Chicken wing the patient.

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References:

http://www.anasafepatienthandling.org/Main-

Menu/SPH-Background.aspx

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/healthcarefacilities/safepati

enthandling.html

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