Lifting & Handling

[Pauljohn35]

This story is a few years old when nurse still used to do lifting & handling of patients (if you can remember) before patient handling aids were common place. Before the story begins I had better explain I am a male nurse (the reason for explaining this will come clear when the story unfolds). At this time I was student nurse and was asked to assist in moving a large elderly female patient up the bed in a three person team my two other persons were both female nurses and it was easier for to get on the bed behind the patient due to mobility my uniform allowed. At the school of nursing I had been told to always inform the patient what you were doing unfortunately my words came out wrong and instead of instead of informing her that I was assisting in the lifting, I ended up saying "don't worry love I am just going to take you from behind" she replied quickly "that would be lovely but are a bit young". At this moment I wished opened up and swollowed me up. The two nurses i was assisting fell about in laughter (was i glad the sister was not there). To remind me of this, about 9 months later during a lifting & handling up-date, this story was told by the tutor as how not to communicate with your patient however fortunately for me they did not know it was me who had made this blunder (if they had I would had surely died on the spot).