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By: Joyce Stengel, MSN, RN, CNOR
Published: 10/19/2021
Transferring patients between stretchers and surgical tables presents plenty of challenges for members of the surgical team. Nurses and support staff are at risk of suffering muscular injuries caused by lifting or straining, and patients can suffer skin friction or shearing. The difficulty of the task increases when obese patients are involved, especially if physical limitations prevent them from providing minimal support preoperatively and the effects of anesthesia cause members of the surgical team to handle the full weight of the patient.
Moving obese patients between two lateral surfaces therefore requires time, proper equipment and properly trained staff. Our perioperative team elected to trial an inflatable lateral transfer device to assist in the safe transfer of patients with a BMI over 40. The mats have an air-assisted device with a hose feature that fills them up in seconds. The air pushes out of small holes in the mat’s surface, allowing staff to glide patients across surfaces rather than lifting them without assistance or moving them uncomfortably using a roller board. Another bonus? We typically need only two to three staff members to assist in the transfer, as opposed to four or five, which can make the patient feel uncomfortable or embarrassed.
Members of a multidisciplinary team consisting of surgical support associates, nurses, physicians and perioperative leaders met to discuss the implementation of using a transfer device for all patients with a BMI over 40. Here are a few of the effective policies they developed to promote safe lateral transfers:
Implementing a safe patient transfer protocol requires oversight and tracking of your staff’s performance. We tracked the utilization of the transfer mats for approximately six months and the results were very promising: Data showed staff utilized the mats 79% of the time for eligible patients. It’s important to conduct ongoing training and education for all team members who use the mats, so they continue to prevent staff injuries related to lateral patient transfers. Transferring patients without lifting or straining supports employee and staff safety, and should always be a top priority for all surgical facilities. OSM
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