heavy lifting

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im going to be entering the program this fall, and i was wondering how much lifting nurses have to do in comparison to CNAs? I worked as a CNA at a LTC and it was all lifting every patient, is this how it is at a hospital as a nurse?

I needed the smile your post gave me.

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acutally several places in illinois where i have worked at or a friends have worked at, it seems like nurses do not do any lifting at all,

one time a patient fell straight off his wheel chair in plain site of a LPN and she just walked the other way and i had to get someone else to help me lift him back up

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Specializes in sub-acute.
one time a patient fell straight off his wheel chair in plain site of a LPN and she just walked the other way and i had to get someone else to help me lift him back up

I find that very hard to believe. :angryfire The 1st thing you would do, as a nurse in that situation, is to evaluate the pt to see if there were any injuries. Lifting the pt back up would come later when it is determined that it is safe to do so.

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I find that very hard to believe. :angryfire The 1st thing you would do, as a nurse in that situation, is to evaluate the pt to see if there were any injuries. Lifting the pt back up would come later when it is determined that it is safe to do so.

ya it was pretty bogus, that place sucked

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Specializes in ER, ICU, L&D, OR.
guess my question was unclear, while i was in a nursing home all i did was lift patients and clean asses

my question is how much lifting is involved as an RN? ive only worked long term care and nurses do not do any lifting there

i was wondering if it is the same at a hospital where nurses also dont do any lifting?

Lifting and cleaning bottoms is Nursing 101, all nurses lift and clean. Thats basic nursing we all do it.

Welcome to thee wonderfull world of nursing

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Specializes in ER/Trauma.
or you could be like me and work in the NICU, where the IV pumps weigh more than the pts....
:chuckle

'round here, it's mostly "Hey, can someone help me with a boost?" and pretty much anyone who is just not completely pressed for time lends a hand.

cheers,

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Specializes in NICU.

Depends on the unit, the heaviest thing we have to lift is the 5 gallon bottle of water in the breakroom.

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guess my question was unclear, while i was in a nursing home all i did was lift patients and clean asses

quote]

I can't stop laughing!!! Only a guy would say this. I love this forum allready!!:lol2:

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Specializes in Post Anesthesia.

I've never seen a hospital (in the USA) where nurses don't do any heavy lifting. As a rule I boost up, turn, or stand a minimal wt bearing patient 6-10 times a night. I have heard that in the UK lifting is forbidden and approp. assist devices are always avail. but that may just be a rumor. After 20+yrs in nsg I have had 2 hernia repairs and my attending wants me to have spinal surgery. What a great job!

By the way, I'm a guy and for some reason everyone thinks its easier of someone with a y chromosome to lift a 150kg patient. I don't know about any of the other guys out there but I have never used my Adams apple or any other part that the ladies don't have to lift some of our more rotund patients.{just ranting again-sorry}

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Specializes in Respiratory Care/Step-down.

If you are going to ask the tech to do it, be prepared to do it yourself. It's only fair, it's part of the job, and we make a lot more than the techs. Fortunately for me, most of our techs actually prefer to be the ones who do the cleaning.

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Specializes in Nursing Home ,Dementia Care,Neurology..
I've never seen a hospital (in the USA) where nurses don't do any heavy lifting. As a rule I boost up, turn, or stand a minimal wt bearing patient 6-10 times a night. I have heard that in the UK lifting is forbidden and approp. assist devices are always avail. but that may just be a rumor. After 20+yrs in nsg I have had 2 hernia repairs and my attending wants me to have spinal surgery. What a great job!

By the way, I'm a guy and for some reason everyone thinks its easier of someone with a y chromosome to lift a 150kg patient. I don't know about any of the other guys out there but I have never used my Adams apple or any other part that the ladies don't have to lift some of our more rotund patients.{just ranting again-sorry}

No it'd not a rumour!We use slide sheets, hoists and various other moving aids to move and handle patients. Slide sheets especially are not that expensive about $10 maybe and are worth every cent if it saves your back! We have had male carers who could lift patients right up off the beds but generally we have a mostly female work group so we use the aids a lot.Some of us who are older were trained to "lift"back in the day but generally they do not even train nurses now to "lift" but they do train them,yearly,in moving and handling techniques.

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ok guys so i asked some of my friends who have also done LTC

all of them said the same thing

nurses did not do any lifting at all of any patients

maybe these LTC have alot of CNAs

and im going into nursing school within a week!!!!!!!!!!!

im already nervous

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