Help From Experienced CNAs !

mvm2 · May 7, 2015

I worked home care with a man with Parkinson's and gave a complete bed bath everyday. It can be a struggle but sometimes you just have to find something that works for you. Without having eyes on the patient I am not sure what he can and can not do. Can he hold a bed rail? What I use to do for my client is have him on a draw sheet. I would pull him towards me a little and tell him to reach with his hand for the bar. That way his body would be leaning towards the way I wanted him to go. Then roll him and have him just hold the bar while I washed his back.

If you still can not move them using a draw sheet by all means PLEASE ask for help. I understand you don't want to burden your other CNAs but for goodness sakes sometimes you just have to. You need to protect yourself and it only can take a split secouns and you could hurt yourself enough that for months if even years you could be in pain. Also I don't think if you help them because they helped you they will fuss about it. Its team work. Walk up to them and say if you could help me with Mr A I'll be happy to help you with Mr Y.

studentnurse47 · May 7, 2015

Please ask for help if you need it. You don't need an injury and neither does your patient/patients.

Keesha2015 · May 8, 2015

Thanks !

Keesha2015 · May 8, 2015

Yes he can somewhat bt it's not enough especially rolling him away from me

mvm2 · May 8, 2015

Like I said if you have a draw sheet you can pull him towards you first. That way you will have a little more leverage to be able to roll him over.

Bbett, MSN, NP · May 8, 2015

Always always always ask for help. Nobody is going to think less of you. At my hospitals we never turn a patient by ourselves. We don't want an injury and the hospital doesn't want to have to pay for our injury. A complete care patient that can't turn themselves is then a Q2turn and put on our "turn team" this turn team has TWO people that go around and turn everyone on the unit and clean them up.

It's wonderful.

JustCheckin' · May 9, 2015

Example: turning pt to the R....bend the L knee and turn pt. If completely stiff, use the sheet for leverage as previously discussed and get help, as some pt are unable to hold the rail. Sometimes cushioning the rail with a pillow may act as comfort.

Glycerine82, LPN · May 9, 2015

First and foremost, move the bed so that it is about flush with your waist area. Too low or too high and you will have a really tough time.

If you are rolling the patient away from you, first use the pad to pull them as close to you as you safely can, so they have more room to roll. By the time you are done rolling them back and forth, they will wind up back in the middle.

When you roll a stiff patient you want to make sure you are letting them help you as much as they can. You can help them bend the leg closest to you at the knee when you are rolling them away from you and this will give them momentum to assist with rolling.

Even if the patient can't help, I always ask them to reach for the bedrail opposite myself, this helps a ton also.

The bed pad/draw sheet is there to help you, use it!

You'll get the hang of it, it just takes time.

Also-a breif can be changed with very little rolling if you use a few tricks. Pulling the pt as close to you as you can, rolling to the opposite side and tucking everything alllll the way under as far as you can, while placing the new brief so that only the side furthest from you is tucked under the patient and the rest is lined up with their body. Then with the rail up, switch sides and you shouldn't have much rolling to do to take the old one out and pull out the side of the new one.

Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN · May 11, 2015

Good tips from Glycerine82. ^^^ But if nothing comfortably works for you, I agree that you need to ask for help. Being a CNA is very hard work, and you only have one back. Don't let pride keep you from protecting yourself. But do reciprocate and ask what you can do to help your coworkers. :up:

Purple_roses · May 11, 2015

If you cannot safely move the patient (safe for the patient AND you), then please ask for help. It's not worth the harm it could cause you or the patient.

Missingyou, CNA · May 12, 2015

If he rolls towards you easier then roll him towards you, do what you need to do then get yourself to the other side of the bed and roll him to you again from the opposite side.

I use a pillow under the shoulder blades to help keep them in that position so I can have two hands free to wash etc.

Even if the resident is unresponsive, still communicate which way you plan to roll them they may just (at the very least) lean in that direction.

I agree 100%, ask for help if you need it!

I remember my first few days of repositioning this one lady (who couldn't help me at all). I just couldn't do it on my own at first and I had to ask for help. Eventually, I figured out what works best with her and I can now easily roll her without help.