How to protect a CNA's back

[EbonyWaltonEl]

Good day! I'm a Pre-Nursing student in a CNA program and it's nearing the end which means our clinical work load is increasing. Yesterday's clinical has me extremely sore. How can I protect my back as a CNA? I'm nervous if this pain is going to be a normal as I continue onto nursing career. What do y'all in the medical field (CNAs/LVN/RNs specifically) do to protect your body? I am not trying to spend the rest of my life in bed on my off days. Please help.

[ZoeFrecn]

I go to the gym regularly and make sure I do core and back strengthening exercises. I mostly do Pilates which focuses a lot on this. Similar to what everyone else said, make sure you use proper body mechanics and, if you are the shorter person the bed should be at your waist - not the waist of the taller person. Make sure you always use assistive devices (gait belt, hoyer, sit to stand) even though that takes longer.

The other thing to do is make sure you work in a facility that is properly staffed. When I first started working as a CNA my back was sore all the time. I thought it was because I was new. However, it was because the staffing was really bad, the workload that we had was very physically heavy and we were always working short. I switched to a new job that had better staffing ratios, and between that and working out, I rarely go home feeling sore or injured.

How old is your mattress? I recently got a new mattress, one of those hybrid ones with firm foam on the top and spring underneath and it does wonders for my back.

[Tashbun]

If you're smaller then ask for help, even if this disgruntles other employees, if something happens to you and you didn't ask for help then the facility could make sure you assume fault. Make sure the bed is at a good height for both of you guys. Trendleberg helps, draw sheets, bending the pts opposite knee of the way your trying to turn helps with the load (if your turning left bend the right knee) as it gives you leverage. But there's not fix for pts that can't/won't help. Try and have the pt do as much as they can and don't EVER let the pt pull themselves up with hands on your hips or around your neck.