Taking good body mechanics too far?

[kool-aide, RN]

Everyone, I would like to hear your opinions on a situation that came up at work this past weekend:

I was taking care of a pt on a m/s floor who was admitted w pneumonia. She was getting ready to be d/c'd in 1-2 days, so, she wasn't too sick..

The pt was a L BKA of 2+ years and used a prosthesis. pt was ambulating w standby assist x1 to BSC to void over the night shift and the nurse had been answering her lights all night (just how it happened to work out, I wasn't refusing to answer her lights or anything like that, I was just already busy when they came on...) and so, the last time she called before the end of shift I answered her light and she needed to use BSC. I put her prosthesis on for her (which she probably could have done herself, but that's another thread...) and then she proceeded to ask me for my hand and to pull her out of bed. I told her that I would prefer for her to use the bedrail and she was completely offended. I told her that by pulling pts out of bed that I could injure my spine and that we're trained to always use good body mechanics to promote spine health. She freaked out and said something like "go get the nurse! she'll HELP me!"

In my opinion, I think I was right. I have seen too many nurses with bad backs, joints, etc, pushed out of nursing because of it and I have too many more years to work to have a bad back! Also, I try to promote independence whenever possible.

I told the nurse about the situation and she agreed that I was right but said she'd been pulling her out of bed all night and said she'd do it just to keep her happy.

What do you guys think about all that? Would any of you sacrifice your back in a situation like this to appease the pt?

Do you think it's no big deal just to give an old lady hand to get OOB even though it's not following proper body mechanics?

Maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't put myself in a situation where I could get injured at work... call me crazy!

I would love some of your opinions!

[MN-Nurse, ASN, RN]

I would love some of your opinions!

If anyone needs help, they get a gait belt and push off the bed/chair while I assist using the belt.

Keep doing this and it will become second nature. Many patients will comply without even realizing it.

I worked in a rehab department for a year and learned a heck of a lot from those therapists. They NEVER let anyone pull on them. Ever.

[anotherone, BSN, RN]

I have never even seen a gait belt at my job.

[booradley007]

I took care of a tall weak relative in his home and used a gait belt every single time he got up to use the commode. I was at his bedside 18 hrs a day, 7 days a week for a month and my back didn't hurt at all. It was great, because it gave be something secure to grab onto. In the hospitals I had worked in the past, the PT aids would bring the belts with them, but we did not have them to use on the floor, unless a doctor wrote an order for one to be at bedside for use.

[MN-Nurse, ASN, RN]

I have never even seen a gait belt at my job.

Then I would bring my own just like I did as an aide.

[divaRN*]

one of my pet peeves is when patients ask you to do something for them that they are capable of doing themself. if i was in this situation i would say "why dont you try to get OOB by yourself, you are being d/c'd soon and you need to be able to do this independently. i will help you if you truly need it." or if they INSIST they are unable to wipe themself after going to the bathroom (and they were independet prior to admit with no medical reason to be unable to wipe at this time) i ask them "how did you do this at home?" majority of the time the patient will give me a dirty look and then do it by themself :)