No lift risk managment

[Aussienurse2]

I know I'm from Australia but........ Do other countries/states not use some kind of risk management system when it comes to transferring clients from place to place?

I work in Queensland, Australia and we use a system called "The No Lift Risk Management System"

It involves the use of slide sheets, PAT slides, mechanical hoists, piviot bords etc. so we NEVER actually do any lifting. I'm 6'2" so am VERY carefull with my back(it has to last me a few more years!) and this system is magic. If anyone is interested I'd be glad to send out a book... Any thing to save our backs and lessen the number of lawsuits...

Would be very interested to hear about other lifting policies.

[RNforLongTime]

I think that there are certain Nursing homes in my area that are a "no lift" facility but they are few and far between. In a hospital setting it's hard to follow this because a lot of times it's quicker to just lift the pt with the draw sheet, especially in the ICU.

[jevans]

Hi

I'm from the Uk working in a stroke unit. We have a strict no lifting policy. We also use a system whereby the risks are measured. It was developed about 10yrs ago by a friend of mine who needed to be off work for several months following an injury. It involves looking at the patient as awhole.

I can down load if anyone interested

j

:kiss

[Nurse Ratched, RN]

I personally am very interested in any info you all can provide on this "no lift" policy. We have pregnant staff popping up all over our unit and none or them believe they should lift at all from the time they conceive (a little - lot - frustrating, as I am unsure of the actual medical basis for this.) Any info you can give on safer methods would be much appreciated. Please, post away! :)

[jevans]

Nurse ratched

Probs with scanner will do so tomorrow if thats ok

best wishes

j

[Tookie]

please include me in any information you have on the no lift policy etc - my email details are [email protected].

[jayna, RN]

There's no such thing as those here in Nam.

Once, am still around. I could help them use it and check with my colleague who is doing injury.

email addy .... [email protected]

[Tookie]

it must have been a long day just checked what l wrote -

email should be

[email protected]

Sorry about the fingers and my typing ability - hope l am a better nurse.

[thisnurse]

we use ...and im at a loss for the name of it right now...an air mattress. the rubber/plastic mattress is placed under the patient and inflated with a pump. its unbelievable easy moving the pt from bed to cart or visaversa. even the largest pt only requires two to slide them. the mattress is then deflated and reinflated when they arrive at xray or wherever they are going(all depts have the pumps) when they get back to the floor we reinflate it, slide them back to bed, deflate it then remove it from under the pt.

the first time i used this i nearly pulled the 350 lb pt right off the bed by myself!

it is a pain in the azz because of the inflating/deflating but it beats the heck out of the hoyers or other lifts. of course its useless for getting a pt off the floor or from chair to bed.

[Aussienurse2]

I'll find out the name of the lifters we use but they will lift up to 110 kgs off the floor, there are also bigger ones up at the hospital that will lift more!( well one got ME off the floor when I was pregnant......Don't ask!)

The only probs we have with them is a managerial one. When they ordered the, much needed, new beds no-one thought to check with the staff and they got beds where the hydrolic (or something mechanical anyway, hey I'm a nurse) parts that make the beds go up and down are so close to the floor getting the legs in under the beds is sometimes a little difficult.

[adrienurse, LPN]

At my facility, we have a very elaborate lifting policy with color coded lifting decals and everyting else. There is extensive staff training on the above and the residents undergo constant reupdating whenever there is a change in mobility status. The problem, however is getting the nursing assistants (and some nurses) to follow the program. Our floor has the highest number of people off on compensation then anywhere in the whole facility. I can't even count the amount of times that I've been called into a room to assist with transferring only to see staff trying to pivot transfer someone who should never be standing in the first place. I have treated these incidents as being exactly what they are- gross mistreatment. It's one thing to abuse your own back but to inflict injury on co-workers and clients is a whole other story.

[disher]

We assess patients and select the transfer that is most approipriate to their ability to assist with the transfer. The two most common transfers are:

1 sliding board transfers for patients who can assist

2 mechanical lift for patients who are dependent