Transfer of Patient From Beds

¶ … Transfer of Patient from Beds to Chairs: Manual Handling, Work, Health and Safety

Although every healthcare setting is unique, tertiary healthcare facilities in particular can be a challenging environment in which to accomplish the transfer of patients from beds to chairs. For instance, Lu and Hignett (2009) report that, "Healthcare buildings can range from very small medical centers with fewer than 10 beds to very large hospitals with more than 1,500 beds. They contain rooms and spaces with very complex and intense demands for controlling the physical environment" (p. 60). In these facilities, many patient rooms have a commode chair and/or other types of stationary or wheelchairs that nursing and support staff use to care for patients or transport them to other parts of the hospital for treatment and return to their rooms (Lu & Hignett, 2009).

Irrespective of the reasons for the bed-to-chair transfer, though, there are some important factors involved that must be taken into account in order to ensure the safety of patients and staff members alike. Devices such as mechanical patient lifts can be used when necessary and clinically appropriate, but post-surgical patients may need to be transferred from bed to chairs using manual lift and placement (Lu & Hignett). In a growing number of healthcare settings, though, the medical personnel needed to effect the transfer from beds to chairs may not be readily available, and nursing and support staff must take advantage of any patient lift devices available in order to assure the safety of the patients while avoiding potential muscle strains from heavy lifting (Lowes, 2001).

Unfortunately, some conventional approaches to patient handling in the bed-to-chair transfer procedure do not eliminate or mitigate potential injuries to patients or staff members. For instance, Nelson and Baptiste (2004) report that, "The most common patient handling approaches in the United States include manual patient lifting, classes in body mechanics, training in safe lifting techniques, and back belts. Surprisingly there is strong evidence that each of these commonly used approaches is not effective in reducing caregiver injuries" (p. 1). These nursing researchers advocate the use of ceiling lifts if necessary but suggest that patient handling is best accomplished by teams of staff members working in coordination to effect the bed-to-chair transfer and vice versa. According to Nelson and Baptiste, the need for more efficient and evidence-based patient transfer methods is acute. In this regard, Nelson and Baptise advise that, "Patient handling and movement tasks are physically demanding, performed under unfavorable conditions, and are often unpredictable in nature. Patients offer multiple challenges including variations in size, physical disabilities, cognitive function, level of cooperation, and fluctuations in condition" (p. 2).