J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 9 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 1 1
T
o help reduce injuries, we decided that our nurses didn't have
to do all the heavy lifting. We instituted a safe patient handling
and movement program that uses an air-assisted lateral trans-
fer device.
Traditionally, if a patient weighed 200 pounds or more, we'd use an
air-assisted lateral transfer device. But we instituted a 157-pound
weight trigger for using the air-assisted device and a 35-pound limit on
lifting anything above one's head without assistance.
Deborah Totzkay, DNP, RN, ACNP-BC, CNOR
Michigan Medicine
Ann Arbor, Mich.
dtotzkay@med.umich.edu
AIR-ASSISTED LATERAL TRANSFER
Eliminating Patient Handling Injuries
• NO HEAVY LIFTING Staff at Michigan Medicine experienced fewer injuries when using an air-assisted lateral transfer device.
Deborah
Totzkay,
DNP,
RN,
ACNP-BC,
CNOR