Week 2 Nursing Flashcards
MANUAL HANDLING COVERS A WIDE RANGE OF ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING:
- Lifting
- Pushing
- Pulling
- Holding
- Carrying
- Restraining
- Maintaining awkward postures
WE FOCUS ON SAFE MANUAL HANDLING AND NOT SAFE LIFTING
- Previously, there has been a focus on ‘back care’ programs to control the risks associated with manual handling activities
- Unfortunately, this approach to ‘safe lifting’ did not reduce injuries associated with manual handling and nurses and midwives continued to be injured
- The O’Shea No Lift system was developed in 1995 to combat the unacceptably high injury rates among nurses and midwives
- Many variations on this system exist now, the principles remain the same and are focused on reducing manual handling activities wherever possible
- Nurses and midwifes carry around 1.8 tons per shift
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY ACT (2004) & REGULATIONS (2017)
Duties of Employers (Section 21)
An employer, so far as is reasonably practicable:
* Provide and maintain for employees of the employer, a working environment that is safe and without risks to health
Duties of Employees (Section 25)
While at work, an employee must:
* Take reasonable care for his or her (sic) own health and safety
* Take reasonable care of the health and safety of others who may be affected by the employee’s acts or omissions at a
workplace
* Cooperate with their employer with respect to any action taken by the employer to comply with a requirement imposed
by the OHS Act
Patients are assessed as:
- Independent,
- Requires Supervision,
- Able to Assist,
- Not Able to Assist.
HOW DO YOU IDENTIFY IF SOMEONE IS ‘INDEPENDENT’ WITH MANUAL HANDLING
ON Bed Tasks
* Must be able to cooperate and comprehend instructions
* Must be able to move own body weight in bed (with or without the use of assistive devices)
* If the patient does not meet BOTH criteria, patient is classified as not able to assist and requires a minimum of 2 people and appropriate equipment to complete manual handling task
OFF Bed Tasks
* Must be able to cooperate and comprehend instructions
* Must be able to stand unsupported (by nursing or midwifery staff) with or without aids
* Must be able to maintain balance with or without aids
* No recent history of unexpected falls in hospital or the community
* If the patient does not meet ALL criteria patient is classified as not able to assist and requires a minimum of 2 people and appropriate equipment
SLIDE SHEETS
- Assists with moving a patient up or down the bed
- Requires a minimum of two nurses or midwives
- Always use two slide sheets if the patient is unable to assist
TRANSFER HOIST
- Assists with transferring a patient from one location to another
- Requires a minimum of two nurses or midwives to complete the transfer
- Consideration needs to be given to potential fractures before transfer
- Ensure clear patient education prior to transfer as it can be frightening
HOVERMATT® AND HOVERJACK®
- Assists with transferring a patient between beds (HoverMatt®) or raising a patient from the floor following a fall (HoverJack®)
- Requires a minimum of two nurses or midwives to complete the transfer
STANDING LIFTER
- Assists with transferring a patient from a bed to a chair or chair
- Patient must be wearing adequate footwear (and have feet!)
- Patient must be able to follow instructions
- Patient must be able to bear some weight through their legs/feet
- Do not use if the patient is tired or fatigued
- Can be operated by one nurse or midwife
OVERHEAD HOIST
- Patient must be able to follow instructions
- Prepare everything needed to reduce ‘hang time’ for the patient
- Ensure the right sling is being used for the hoist
- Requires a minimum of two nurses or midwives
BED MECHANICS AND FUNCTIONS
- Always use the bed mechanics to help with manual handling tasks
- Ensure the correct mattress is being used on the bed so it moves properly
- Check that the patient fits in the bed and has enough room to move
BARIATRIC MANUAL HANDLING
Medical management of the morbidly obese:
* An internationally accepted term applied to patients whose weight far exceeds recommended guidelines and where body size restricts their mobility, health and access to healthcare services
* Their weight increases their morbidity, mortality and creates numerous care challenges for health care providers
