Hover Mat

RNOTODAY, BSN, RN · Apr 13, 2017

We only use them on the very overweight PT s... what did you specifically want to know ?

MunoRN, RN · Apr 14, 2017

I've never seen a facility policy specific to the use of hovermats and I'm not sure why you would need one. Aside from the manufacturers instructions for use, what is it that you would like clarified in a policy?

mateo1972 · Apr 16, 2017

in my work area, we have nurses of different ages and sizes. And when we got our hovermat we are getting resistance from our younger nurses on using it. We are having a debate or discussion on the timing or application of the mat. The older overworked nurses feels it should be use for patient @ 175 and above, however younger nurses feel that only use it for 215 and above. The cost for the mat is 80.00, I get that we are trying to save $. Are there any evidence based practices out there that you know of ?

marienm, RN, CCRN · Apr 18, 2017

The mats in my hospital are cleaned and re-used. If used, they're under a sheet and a soaker pad (so hopefully they stay a bit cleaner to begin with.) We do get patients from the OR/Recovery Room with a mat under them, but we do not leave the patient on the mat in the bed! Too many wrinkles, the mat surface doesn't breathe at all, etc. So they're handy for getting the patient off of a stretcher (or, I guess, onto the OR table) but then we turn the patient completely and remove it anyway. If they're going back to the OR we sometimes put it under them again--depends on the situation. I don't know that our OR staff has a "rule" about who they are used on, but I'm always a little surprised to find them under patients who weigh less than 250# unless they have strict "no-twisting" orders (like spinal surgery patients). Even with spine patients, we do not leave the mat under them. We log-roll them for turns if indicated.

Do you use them just for bed/OR table/stretcher transfers or are people wanting them for positioning the patient? For lighter patients we use a slide board for transfers and I think it's easier to get it under the patient than the hover mat.