Is anyone else annoyed by the expectations of male nurses in transferring patients?

[WillRegNurse]

At my new job on a med-surg floor, we have only two pieces of lifting equipment: a sit-to-stand machine and a hoyer lift. When you want to use them, they never seem to be around. They are shared with other floors and are underused because the experienced nurses see it as a big to-do to scour the floor for them and get the patient into the harness. For that reason, most of the experienced nurses never want to bother using them. They see it as more convenient and efficient to just recruit a bunch of personnel from the hall, including as many male nurses as are around, and utilize these 4 to 6 people to, in my opinion, unsafely transfer patients who are as heavy as 250 lbs, have dementia, and hit people.

Just the other day, my preceptor asked me to "get in front of this guy" who was 71 years old, 300 lbs, demented, and combative. He also had sprained something in his leg from falling a while back and was unwilling to stand. So 4 other people and me had to reach under his arms and bear all his weight onto our backs to try and shuffle him from the bed to the wheelchair so that he could be discharged. We did get him into the wheelchair but he was about to fall forward at one point and so my preceptor had to charge forward into his gut and ram him with her head in order to stop his fall forward and send him backwards into the wheelchair instead. It was one of the most absurd things I have ever taken part in.

I made a point to say it would be a better idea to take time to use the lifting equipment on a patient like that next time and she agreed, but I believe that when transferring heavy patients, many nurses feel that it is quicker to just get a whole lot of people and get it done without the use of equipment, regardless of how much it hurts our backs.

What I resent is that the next time this happens, and I refuse to transfer a heavy patient that should really be transferred via equipment, that I will be seen as unskilled, lazy, or a weakling for not wanting to have a work related injury during my first year out of nursing school. I especially despise comments from nurses who say "it is nice to sometimes have a male nurse help move the patients" as if being a man and having more upper body strength does jack for saving your back when you got some huge person falling down onto you!

What does everyone else make of this?

[Whispera, MSN, RN]

WillRegNurse, I'm with you. It doesn't matter if you're male, female, or from Saturn, you shouldn't do things that you know jeopardize your health...

[linearthinker, DNP, RN]

I see two different issues here. Unsafe transfer is not synonymous with team work, lol.

IME, we played to each other's strenghts, literally and figuratively. If I had a coworker much stronger than I, you bet your boots I'd expect his/her help with (SAFE) transfers. Just as I'd anticipate they ask me for help in areas I might have an advantage. We called it simply, "working together." I would think most people would want this type of collegial working environment and would be happy to do their part. YMMV.

Unsafe transfers are another kettle of fish and the answer to that is obvious. Don't do it.

[Altra, BSN, RN]

The answer to this dilemma is the same as the answer to many others ... safe staffing levels.

Even if there is equipment available, utilizing it safely with 400 lb+ patients takes considerable time from multiple staff. It is not a magic fix-all.

I can understand your frustration at feeling targeted as the designated heavy lifter.

I think hospitals should staff multiple "lift teams" - trained, wearing back supports, and physically capable, and available 24/7 -- that would be a better option than most of the extremely cumbersome equipment I have observed.

JMO.

[Anisettes, BSN, RN]

You're right, I think there is the perception that male nurses (or techs or orderlies) should be ready and willing to used as muscle. I see and hear it all the time.

Of course it's not anymore right than expecting a female who is Amazon in stature to do the same in a room full of petites (frequently my problem) - yet it happens all the time. I don't know how to change it. But you are not alone. You do what you need to save your back, because the truth of the matter when your back goes out and you are no longer able to work in this profession - not one of the people who glibly took your help for granted will be there with anything more than 'I'm sorry' for you when it happens.

Take care of yourself - you're the only one looking out for you. If equipment is available - they can use it.

[caliotter3]

Do like the nurse did at my very first CNA job. When I asked him to help me with a large resident, he just told me no.

[rentalnurse, RN]

I know where you are coming from, I have been a nurse for almost 20 yrs and back is holding out for most part. When I suggest the slide board or some other transfer device I am almost laughed at, or it cant be found. I resort to using a garbage bag to slide patients over and it works. the one that gets me is 'can you go help someone out out the car' since i wk er. I've threatened patients when i get out there , how did you get yourself in the car why is it different now that you suddenly cant get out by yourself (unless unconscious) i sometimes tell them if ya cant help get out ill be glad to call 911. but yes as far back as i can remember i am always asked to help and im not that big but "male". well enough soapbox

[WillRegNurse]

Yeah, I'm not that big of a guy either. I am 6 feet tall and weigh 155 lbs. That is pretty skinny, and half of the female nurses I work with surely weigh more than me, from the looks of some of them. Maybe they ought to recruit themselves to lift these huge people!

[TrafalgarRN]

Never ever...ever...ever jeopardize your back because people want to take short cuts. The only people i will pick up are kids and 99.5% of the time i will always make sure there are enough people to safely transfer a patient. If that 300 lb patient falls on you then you are done; you can break something and your career will end quickly just as it began.I'm a skinny kids and the first thing i jokingly ask when asked to lift is "why do you have to pick on the skinny kid ". Of course we have good team work and i will always help but at the same we all take care of each other to ensure safety and not to brag we have had no injuries on my shift for the last 4 years.

Male nurses may feel like they are being called for every heavy lifting but its just a norm. Just do it safely and your back will thank you.

[JDZ344]

This is crazy. We have socialised health care and all the lifting equipment you can shake a stick at. Hoists, sliding sheets, turntables. A specialist back care team and a couple of people who will come to the ward to help you if you are stuck- they can order in equipment and help you figure out the best way to move a patient.

I guess I am just dumbstruck that there are hospitals in the US that don't have equipment to move patients safely. After all, you are risking the patient AND the staff when you do unsafe lifting.

(I am not criticising US hospitals- just a little shocked that they still expect staff to physically lift people!)

[VICEDRN, BSN, RN]

My husband is male and a nurse and YES, it annoys me both when on my unit and when I realize my husband's assignments often involved heavy patients or requests to move heavy patients.

I have told him that it is unfair of him to put himself at risk of back injury when he already has a back injury and leave me to support us both and our family. Its been a source of tension for me both at work and when not at work. :argue::mad:

[canesdukegirl, BSN, RN]

Wait a minute...she RAMMED his gut with her HEAD?!?!? OK, guess she'll be going to the Spine Clinic next week.

I feel ya, OP. It must put you in an awkward position if you are constantly asked to help move pts. I work in the OR, and we must tx pts from the OR table to the stretcher at the end of the case. There is just an unspoken understanding that everyone in the room regardless of gender helps with tx. Many times, I am "hip bumped" out of the way by a 60+yo anesthesiologist who comes to the pt's side and instructs me to take the feet instead.

My situation is much different from yours, however. You have to stop what you are doing in order to help out. Everyone in my room is at the same stopping point, so it's a non-issue.

Is there any way that you all can discuss this at your next staff meeting? Maybe there is some room in the budget to buy a few more Hoyers.