Is It Bad To Ask For Help When Caring For a Heavy Patient?

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In my clinicals I sometimes get patients who are too heavy for me to do morning care all by myself. I can do just about everything except for the fact that I need someone on the other side of bed to help me turn the patient. I've had patients who unable to move at all and it's impossible for me to turn them and keep them turned while I finish my care.

My nursing classmates are more than happy to help each other, as am I in situations like this. However, our instructor doesn't like it. I was told that we should be more independent.

Opinions?

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Specializes in OB, NICU, Nursing Education (academic).
In my clinicals I sometimes get patients who are too heavy for me to do morning care all by myself. I can do just about everything except for the fact that I need someone on the other side of bed to help me turn the patient. I've had patients who unable to move at all and it's impossible for me to turn them and keep them turned while I finish my care.

My nursing classmates are more than happy to help each other, as am I in situations like this. However, our instructor doesn't like it. I was told that we should be more independent.

Opinions?

My Opinion: While I agree that there are times to be independent, there are also times to ask for assistance.....this qualifies as one of those times.

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It's more important to provide safety, for the patient and for yourself, then to be independent. You can assess a pt independently to a point and then get assistance to turn your pt, listen to their lungs, wash their back and leave them repositioned on their side. Much more effective then tugging and pulling solo.

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Personally, I think it's bad to NOT ask for help to move a patient who is to heavy for you. Trying to move someone who is to heavy can definitely result in you getting hurt....but depending on how you're helping them move (ie helping them to a commode) you could hurt them as well.

In general, unless the patient is very little, we're not supposed to move a patient by ourselves.

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You only have one back. Don't damage it now before your career has even started!!

If you feel uncomfortable transferring or turning certain patients, ALWAYS ask for help. Your safety and your patient's safety is much more important than your instructor getting upset because you're "not being independent enough."

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

Where I work it is expected that you get help with the heavy ones. Usually in report if you have one of the known heavy patients our charge will remind us to come a get her if no one else is around to help. Getting help is not a sign of weakness. You have to able to recognize when it is a safety issue for both you and the patient.

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Sounds like your instructor is very "old school". In the real world we help each other with these patients. Don't hurt you back because your instructor is ignorant.

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Specializes in mental health, aged care/disability care.

Our care plans always say minimum 2 person assistance with a heavy client. Sometimes we have a 3 person assist.

We are not expected to roll them and wash them and do everything else that is needed on our own.

Look after yourself - it's your back not the instructors.

Chris

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My facility requires one person per 50 lbs. And the managers on my floor actually check and help! How cool is THAT! Although it does feel silly when you're turning a little 100 lb. person and there are two of you.

Sometimes, though, when we're really busy, we'll ignore the guidelines. Still, I and the other CNAs will only do what we feel safe doing. The most I will turn by myself is 175, maybe 200 if they are able to assist. Anything more than that I will get help for, quickly!

My father has severe back problems from having jobs that require a lot of physical labor. And by severe, I mean SEVERE. I have seen how horrible it is to be unable to lift a milk jug without help, to be unable to bend over to tie your shoes, even to be completely unable to twist so that you have to be careful wiping yourself, all at a young age. I won't risk that!

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Specializes in Quality Nurse Specialist, Health Coach.

You are doing the right thing by asking for help. There is no need to hurt yourself when there is people around and willing to help!

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My nursing classmates are more than happy to help each other, as am I in situations like this. However, our instructor doesn't like it. I was told that we should be more independent.

Opinions?

My opinion is that your clinical instructor is a pinhead.

I would work with your classmates to help each other out while trying to keep it on the DL from the CI.

I am not completely impressed with my current clinical instructor, but she does value students working together.

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your instructor is just outright wrong.

she should have your back, and not try to break it.

of course you'd ask for help.

next time she gives you advice, check with us.;)

leslie

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