Feel pressured to do 2 people transfer alone

loriangel14, RN · May 24, 2011

Stand your ground and don't feel bad for not doing something unsafe.Trying to transfer someone alone that really needs two people is a recipe for disaster. You could end up hurting the resident, yourself or both.Plus if anything happens the first thing they will do is point out that your were trying to transfer them alone with no help.I know it's tough but don't let them bully you into doing something dangerous.

Poi Dog · May 24, 2011

Say you were to drop the patient, your butt would be grass. Seriously. My facility came out with a list of how patients are to be transferred (assist/bears weight/ non-weight bearing) and that has helped a good deal.

Continue asking for help. Sure some patients can assist but sometimes the patient is feeling weak that day and cannot help. Use your judgment and like I said, if you were to drop someone, the ax would fall on you.

Sorry that your coworkers are being butt heads. Maybe they need a good slap- lol.

CelesteR903 · May 24, 2011

Say you were to drop the patient, your butt would be grass. Seriously. My facility came out with a list of how patients are to be transferred (assist/bears weight/ non-weight bearing) and that has helped a good deal.
Continue asking for help. Sure some patients can assist but sometimes the patient is feeling weak that day and cannot help. Use your judgment and like I said, if you were to drop someone, the ax would fall on you.
Sorry that your coworkers are being butt heads. Maybe they need a good slap- lol.

Our facility has a paper they give us everyday with the residents info on it. It specifically list how each is to be moved. That's what I'm going by. Thanks for the support. I was starting feel like a failure because I can't move them on my own.

Moogie · May 24, 2011

Don't risk your residents' safety or your own. People have died because they've been improperly transferred. A gentleman in a nursing home died because the CNA who was bathing him thought she could handle the tub lift by herself even though she was supposed to have another person with her because the man was very large and had mobility issues. The lift fell over and he was injured. He died several days later. I don't know if the CNA was fired, but she's going to always live with the knowledge that she could have prevented the death had she followed proper procedure.

In many places, if you try to transfer someone by yourself when there should be 2 people, you will be thrown under the bus. It will be your fault and the facility will NOT support you---and may likely fire you.

There are also countless CNAs who have rotator cuff damage, herniated discs, muscle strain, joint problems due to lifting improperly. Some workers end up with permanent disabilities due to work injuries. Facilities don't like to pay worker's comp but they also don't like to hire enough workers to lift safely.

Stand up for yourself. Don't let your co-workers bully you. Maybe have a chitchat with your unit supervisor, care coordinator, ADON or DON if the bullying continues. Falls look really bad on state surveys and the powers that be will take you seriously about this matter.

blackandyellow · May 24, 2011

Dont do transfers by yourself if something happens no one is going to back you up. I am guilty of doing two transfers by myself in the past. What ended up changing my mind? I was doing a hoyer lift that I usually did by myself but the nurse just happened to be in the room and offered to help. The hoyer lift broke with the resident in mid air. Thankfully it broke very slowly so we were able to lower the resident to the floor so it wasn't as bad as it could of been. If I was alone the resident would have fallen hard and I wouldn't have my license. After a tech came in to fix the lift it turns out a pin in the machine broke. You can be safe and thing's still happen.

fuzzywuzzy, CNA · May 24, 2011

I don't understand- you said "all the other aide was helping with was the moving." If she's helping you with the actual transfer and then taking off, that's fine. You can do the rest of the care by yourself.

Starletta, CNA · May 24, 2011

I think the other aide was telling her that she better learn to do it herself, as in the future, she'll be doing it herself. And the Nurse was complaining that she was putting the other aide behind. That's how I read it anyway.

CelesteR903 · May 25, 2011

I think the other aide was telling her that she better learn to do it herself, as in the future, she'll be doing it herself. And the Nurse was complaining that she was putting the other aide behind. That's how I read it anyway.

Exactly. Everytime I call for help with a transfer the whole time I hear about how I need to learn to do it by myself and how everyone else does. When I point out it's a 2 person transfer I'm told "You won't always be able to find someone to help you." When I'm calling the other aid in to help transfer the nurse acts like I'm putting everyone else behind because I'm asking for help.

Starletta, CNA · May 25, 2011

If the facility feels it is okay to take the risk and let an aide do this alone, I'd have to question whether I really wanted to work for this place... What other corners are they cutting that you might not see?

That is highly unethical to risk a fall.

If they expect you to do this alone in the future, I'd start looking for another place to work ASAP. As other's have said, you'll be the "Negligent" one and possibly lose your license. And they aren't going to give a darn. Even if they admit they gave the go-ahead to move a 2 person transfer with only one person. YOU'LL still be held liable because you did something you knew was wrong.

fuzzywuzzy, CNA · May 25, 2011

I think if you put your foot down long enough people will get over it. I work with some people that don't like to use the hoyer- they would rather lift by hand. I used to do it but back then we had a nurse that wouldn't let you put anyone to bed till the last minute, so you were scrambling to finish, and the hoyer lift takes time we didn't have. Nowadays it's a little more relaxed and I don't think it's worth the risk of dropping someone. So I just flat-out won't do it. I say "I don't wanna get in trouble, they'll hang you for anything in this place." And it's true. You drop someone transferring by yourself when the care plan says to have 2, and they won't think twice about firing you to cover their own asses. They only look the other way until something happens.

What happens if you wait until 3rd shift and have them help you with the transfers? They'll probably complain after a couple times and then maybe something will get done. We all have to cut corners in this business but I don't think helping with a 2-person transfer is too much to ask.

cogath · May 26, 2011

One word: Don't. You could loose your license and have legal action taken against you if something happens.

The way I get people to help me is to do everything possible before entering the room, such as getting them washed up, briefed, dressed, and hooked to the hoyer. This minimizes the time the other aid has to spend in the room. I will also offer to help them with their resident as a "trade-off."