Lifting in hospice?

Been there,done that, ASN, RN · Jul 10, 2012

Sigh.. my thoughts are your thread will be closed stat. Listen to your surgeon AND

God bless you for being a hospice nurse.

AMRC6713 · Jul 10, 2012

Let the company know what the surgeon said, my experience is that they'd rather have you there and get you assistance as needed than not there at all. But they can't do that for you if they don't know about it.

gorgenurse · Jul 10, 2012

Just curious, why would the thread be closed? I really am not asking for medical advice, I am just wondering from other hospice nurses experience, how much is lifting a part of what we do?

I know it varies. But especially being on call, I am going out to patients homes in the middle of the night and on weekends when there is usually no one but family to assist me.

nurselabrat · Jul 10, 2012

I was a hospice crisis care nurse. And there seemed to be quite a lot of lifting to be done. I never knew if I would have help, and there were plenty of times I didn't. I think you need to do what the surgeon says and you need to let the employer know what you can and can't do so that they can work with you.

Whispera, MSN, RN · Jul 10, 2012

Maybe they can give you something to do that won't require lifting, until you're fully recuperated?

leslie :-D · Jul 10, 2012

you just cannot predict when you will have to lift...so definitely follow dr's orders until cleared.

leslie

gorgenurse · Jul 11, 2012

Well, dr said, minimum 3 weeks from surgery with no lifting more than 20 lb. I feel bad that I didn't discuss this with my work prior to the surgery.I guess I will give them the note and see what they say.

Quick question, I just had my gallbladder out laparoscopically last week. I am a hospice on call nurse. I go in for my 1 weeks post op appointment today. I remember from the presurgery appointment that the surgeon had said no lifting more than 20 lb for an extended period of time, like 6 weeks or so. I am trying to decide if that is the case, how likely is it that I will be put into a position to lift with my job. Alot of times I don't have to go anywhere, just take phone calls, and if I attend a death I can have the funeral home move the body, but there are also times, like washing a body where I would need to turn people, or just to assist families in repositioning patients.
I have no idea what my work is going to say, I am waiting to get instructions from the surgeon today, any thoughts?

jeannepaul, BSN · Jul 11, 2012

Ive been doing on call for around 6yrs now. I don't remember ever having to lift over 20lbs. I will not get someone off the floor, they either have to call the fire dept. or family to help. Now I will help, but will not do it alone. It takes at least an hour for me to get anywhere and triage has already told them who to call so they are already back in bed by the time I get there.

If I have to clean someone up, the family helps, they hold while I clean. I also tell the families not to do anything by themselves if there is someone else there to help.

I have a bad back, and making sure I don't get hurt comes first. 20lbs is alot of weight, I really don't think you will need to lift that.

I would tell the family you just had surgery and cannot lift and most will understand and lift if there is anything that needs to be lifted.

Good luck, I hope all goes well.

coogabooga · Jul 11, 2012

Haven't been a hospice nurse very long, but I will say I do MUCH less lifting than in the ICU, for example. I understand, however, that I must be prepared for the occasional 250+lb body that needs post mortem care.... A lot of times it seems appropriate to ask for help from an aide or family member.

I must say that my back has felt 150% better ever since I switched to hospice nursing... But my emotions and brain become the ones that are strained. In nursing, it seems there is always a tit for tat.