Does your hospital have a lift team

RNonsense · Mar 18, 2003

Nope. Good idea though!

SharkLPN · Mar 18, 2003

Lift team! Hahahahaa! Good one! Even if my facility had the smarts to offer it, I'm sure it would only be on day shift.

We do have a nice new Hoyer lift to assist us with transfers and falls. However, it's on another floor, locked in a room so the pad doesn't get stolen, and security has the key. So imagine the hassle and time involved in retrieving it for use. Needless to say, it collects dust.

anitame · Mar 18, 2003

We have a Mr. Strong page but it is rarely used. It is set up to be a group of 5-6 people who come help when paged and it's only used when someone is down and truly can't get up using the lift systems. We have a lift system available (I can't remember the brand but it's like a Hoyer) which we are encouraged to use instead of lifting and they are used frequently.

I kind of have a problem with the concept of a two man lift team being used exclusively for heavy lifting. It sounds dangerous for those two men IMHO.

RNonsense · Mar 18, 2003

Originally posted by anitame
We have a Mr. Strong page but it is rarely used.

Really? That is so cute! :)

sjoe · Mar 19, 2003

"One of the hospitals I did a clinical rotation in had a lift team that consisted of 2 big men. "

Whatever happened to equal opportunity and gender equality?

"I was sweating like a dog after that."

Dogs sweat only through their tongues.

Glad2behere · Mar 19, 2003

We don't have lift teams. We do have turn teams though. The nurse externs have to make rounds and do bed after bed of patient turning, one floor at a time. They're great.

deespoohbear · Mar 19, 2003

Yep, we have a lift team. It consists of us nurses and CNA's. We do have a fancy lift, but we have to share it with another floor. Damn inconvenient considering the census between the two floor hovers around 40.

I will call for extra lift help need be it. I am not going to tear my back to shreds moving some patient. I only have one back and I plan to protect it.

Genista, BSN, RN · Mar 19, 2003

We have a lift team. God bless them!

Don't be fooled...yes, I STILL do plenty of lifting anyway. But for the really big & heavy patients...we CAN call in the big guns "the lift team." They happen to be men, but the important thing is that they are strong, on call, trained in patient transfers & available to help most weekdays. Sometimes it takes 30 minutes and utilizes the entire staff to mobilize a patient, so if the lift team can help us out, we truly appreciate it! It's a great idea.

GO Lift team!

getbabygirl · Mar 19, 2003

I haven't seen any in the hospitals, but they do have them in the nursing homes and I must admit they are very helpful.

jevans · Mar 19, 2003

The Trust where I work has a strict no lifting policy. My unit......stroke rehab has 3 standing hoists and 2 sling hoists which are used even to pick pts up from floor. they are a god send!

If the pt is heavier than the hoist recommended weight........ we have to complete a clinical risk form and then order a hoist, and bed big enough.

As someone who has been nursing a very long time .......bad back and all....these hoists are essential

Any facility without a hoist must obtain them

jevans · Mar 19, 2003

if interested see

http://www.arjo.com