Moving and handling patients

Nurseinprocess · Apr 28, 2008

Right, i have just got home from my first day on the wards which was brilliant and i loved every moment apart from one. Im working on a 'care of the elderly' ward and most of the patients need help to wash or are totally unable to do it themselves. Well today the 2nd patient that i have 'EVER' cared for needed a bedbath. This gentleman was well built and tall-I am short-I was with another nurse (a fairly high up nurse, Sister) and when we had to place the gentleman in his chair she placed her arms under his armpit (axila) and heaved him off the bed and then complained when i didnt help her lift him. Ive been told that this is assult and can cause serious injury to both patient and nurse by my university and the moving and handling people.
She left me to tidy up and went behind a curtain and proceded to ***** about me not doing any work. Im actually quite upset by this as this woman is my mentor
What do i do? Do i lift and risk damaging my back/hurting the patient or do i risk annoying the staff?

Well if you don't help lift the patient into the chair, how is he going to get there? I don't understand why you think it's not your job to do that? It would have been nice if you helped the nurse who moved the patient so you could have shared his weight between you and spared both of you back strain.

beth66335, BSN, RN · Apr 28, 2008

Right, i have just got home from my first day on the wards which was brilliant and i loved every moment apart from one. Im working on a 'care of the elderly' ward and most of the patients need help to wash or are totally unable to do it themselves. Well today the 2nd patient that i have 'EVER' cared for needed a bedbath. This gentleman was well built and tall-I am short-I was with another nurse (a fairly high up nurse, Sister) and when we had to place the gentleman in his chair she placed her arms under his armpit (axila) and heaved him off the bed and then complained when i didnt help her lift him. Ive been told that this is assult and can cause serious injury to both patient and nurse by my university and the moving and handling people.
She left me to tidy up and went behind a curtain and proceded to ***** about me not doing any work. Im actually quite upset by this as this woman is my mentor
What do i do? Do i lift and risk damaging my back/hurting the patient or do i risk annoying the staff?

Annoy the staff. If they want you to help they should use proper body mechanics. You only get one back and if you destroy it you can't be a nurse anymore! But don't get me wrong, feel free to tell them why you are uncomfortable moving pts that way...but don't let them talk you into doing it wrong it's not their future they are messing with it's yours.:wink2:

Chixie · Apr 28, 2008

Nurseinpractise- you are missing what i am saying-She was using an ILLEGAL and DANGEROUS manouver to transfer the patient-

There is equiptment and methods to move the patient that minimise the risks but she wasnt prepared to use them.

Both the hospital and the university policies state that Axila lifts are ASSULT! and we are NOT to do them under any circumstances.

Nurseinprocess · Apr 28, 2008

Nurseinpractise- you are missing what i am saying-She was using an ILLEGAL and DANGEROUS manouver to transfer the patient-
There is equiptment and methods to move the patient that minimise the risks but she wasnt prepared to use them.
Both the hospital and the university policies state that Axila lifts are ASSULT! and we are NOT to do them under any circumstances.

So how are you supposed to do it? Did you mention to the nurse that you were taught a different way? We are taught to use a gait belt.

Chixie · Apr 28, 2008

The mentors (she is my mentor) attend the same 'moving and handling' sessions that the students do. We should have swung the patients legs over the edge of the bed and then used a standing machine to help him to stand and then push the machine over to his chair and then lower the machine and it sits him in the chair,

nightmare, RN · Apr 28, 2008

The mentors (she is my mentor) attend the same 'moving and handling' sessions that the students do. We should have swung the patients legs over the edge of the bed and then used a standing machine to help him to stand and then push the machine over to his chair and then lower the machine and it sits him in the chair,

Quite correct! Your mentor should not have put you in this position at all,a stand-aid should have been used and you were well within your rights to refuse to lift in this fashion.Good for you!I'm not going to pretend that everyone uses proper M & H procedures all the time but until students and newer nurses stand up for the proper mechanics then it will continue to happen.

Oh one more thing,be aware that UK and US have different policies for M & H.

nightmare, RN · Apr 28, 2008

Have moved this to UK forum for more ' home grown ' advice.

allnurses Guide · Apr 28, 2008

If your mentor is practicing unsafe moving and handling techniques then you need to speak to your tutor, it sounds like you were put in a difficult situation because if this was the ward manager or deputy then they would be the people I would advice you speak to about this practice.

Does your hospital have a manual handling co-ordinator that you can speak to.

The most important thing is, and this is from a nurse who was taught these illegal lifts in my training and have suffered for it with a bad back do not put yourself at risk. There are techniques and equipment that has to be available for you to handle patients, you have a long career ahead of you don't start it with a back problem.

cariad · Apr 29, 2008

nurseinprocess is obviously from america, where nurses dont think twice about lifting patients.......they know nothing about placing the patient or themselves in danger. where i worked in the uk it was not acceptable for anyone to lift a patient, especially under the arms as you as stated can damage the patients shoulder joints. we had mandatory annual teaching sessions and as you say everybody has to follow the rules. if you had helped that nurse to lift the patient and had hurt your back, she would have been responsible for your injury, but you also are accountble for your own actions and have to learn to say no. she knows that she is in the wrong.

RGN1 · Apr 30, 2008

You were right not to lift the patient in a way that could have caused injury to both yourself and him.

It was very wrong of the Sister ,who should know better, to then complain.

You have to address these issues early on with her, especially as she is your mentor.

As has been said already, get your M&H department on-board & also physio - who I'm sure would be happy to explain to her the dangers of what she is doing.

ZippyGBR, BSN, RN · Apr 30, 2008

Well if you don't help lift the patient into the chair, how is he going to get there? I don't understand why you think it's not your job to do that? It would have been nice if you helped the nurse who moved the patient so you could have shared his weight between you and spared both of you back strain.

by transferring using a safe and appropriate manual handling techniques with the use of handling aids if required ...

not by grabbing him under the armpits and throwing him about.

manual handling practice in the Uk is very well developed and there are biomechanically appropriate and safe for both nurse and patient ways of achieving a lot of handling tasks

under the Manual Handling Ops regulations and other health and safety legislation manual handling tasks have be either eliminated or the safest techniques adopted ...

the patient may have been able to self transfer with the use of a frame and appropraite coaching and safe handling assistance, it may have been more approrpaite to use a handling belt or evan a standing hoist to assit him to stand ...

the costs to the NHS not only in fines but in compensation and medical retirement leading to early pay ment of a full pension are potnetially huge ...