LTC unintentional patient injuries, moving immobile patients?

[soulonfire88]

80 yo male

a+0 x 4 sleepy and reluctant to follow commands

Today was my first day as an RN, graduated 5 months ago. Landed my first job (finally) at an LTC I was in training all day...and at the end of the shift I helped with a new admit. Upon initial assessment I noticed a stage 1 on his hip because he is unable to turn due to back pain. the DON asked that I go back in and turn him to put cream on hip and measure the reddened spot. The patient did not want to move due to the pain but with the help of a couple nurses assisting his turning we got him over and he decided he no longer wanted to be in that position and reached for the rail and quickly turned back over before I was able to put cream or measure the spot. So without further encouragement we decided it would be best for the night nurse to give him medication and try again later, before I left i decided to move him up in bed, the draw sheet became scrunched under his arm (he was lying on his left side in fetal position). i lifted his arm up and flatten the sheet and he said, "wow watch what you are doing there" (indicating that me putting my hand on his arm was either painful or uncomfortable)..I quickly apologized and realized that i unintentionally hurt him. My brain flashed to a story my boss told of a nurse who was fired when a patient put their arm up during bathing and the nurse grabbed the patients arm to put it down...I kept thinking what could i have done differently? are things like this grounds for malpractice suits?

I moved his arm to prevent him getting a pressure sore from a balled up sheet...the elderly are so stiff and frail... :-(