Turning hip fracture patient

[gwendelyn]

My patient has a left hip fracture and is scheduled to have a hip replacement in two days. I decided not to put him on a turn q2 hour schedule because: 1. His hip wasn't immobilzed as it would be after surgery 2. It caused him excruciating pain to move his leg 3. He refused it 4. I thought there was a risk of causing neurovascular damage. Is this wrong? I was following my "gut", but I guess my gut isn't always right.LOL:)..

[I<3H2O, BSN, RN]

Quite honestly, I do not turn hip fx patients more than absolutely necessary. It's hard enough on them to use a bedpan or be rolled to be cleaned when incontinent. I am risking skin breakdown but hip fx are incredibly painful.

[suni, BSN, RN]

I also try not to turn my hip fractures but our rule is bad pre op good post op, it sounds awful but that is how we do it, plus most of ours get a foley till they are fixed.

[BluegrassRN]

Thank you for posting this. I work on a medical floor, but we occasionally get middle of the noc overflow surgical admits. Once in a blue moon we get a hip fracture, and we always debate whether or not to turn them. I feel very inadequate caring for ortho patients, and hip fractures, frankly, are the worst.

I'm glad to hear that the inclination is to not turn, or to turn occasionally, particularly if the surgery is scheduled within the next 12-18 hours.