Working in the health service is physically very strenuous and dangerous. It can happen that a nursing staff has to lift up to 1.8 tons in one shift. In the USA alone, 35,000 nursing staffs suffer injuries to the musculoskeletal system every year due to excessive strain.
But these complaints can be avoided or at least reduced by minimizing the risk factors. In our blog series we give tips on the ergonomic execution of important work steps in nursing.
However, there are no standard situations in health care, so it is impossible to help every patient with the same techniques. The methods must always be individually adapted to each situation.
Today it is about mobilisation supported by two nursing staffs:
Procedure
• The resident’s feet are slightly offset
• The nursing staffs stand laterally in front of the patient, holding a hand in the thumb-thumb grip and supports the upper arm with the other
• The resident is slowly pulled forward
• When the resident stands upright, the nursing staffs support him at the hip
Here ist the procedure shown in a video:
