Transferring and Moving

• Assisting a client moving up, sitting position and sitting at edge of bed involves assessing the client's physical abilities, understanding their instructions, and considering their weight, medications, and your own strength and ability to move the client.
• Preparation for assisting a client involves greeting and identifying the client, explaining the procedure, adjusting the position of IV pole, tubes, and catheters, providing the client with hearing aid and glasses if used, lowering the head of the bed to the lowest position, locking the wheels of the bed, placing the pillow near the headboard, and assisting the client to supine position with knees flexed so that soles of one or both feet are flat on the bed.
• If a trapeze is available, it can be used to assist the client in moving up in the bed.
• Moving a client with one nurse involves sliding the arm nearest the head of the bed under the client's shoulders, reaching under and supporting the client's opposite shoulder, placing the other arm under the client's upper back, having the client push with feet as you lift on the count of three, and adjusting the client's level of comfort as necessary.
• Logrolling is a technique used to maintain neck and spinal alignment following injury or surgery.
• Transferring a Hemiplegic patient from bed to wheelchair involves assessing the patient for presence of paralysis, lowering the bed to the height of the wheelchair, locking the wheels of the bed, placing the wheelchair on the unaffected side, locking the wheels of the wheelchair, raising the foot and leg supports of the wheelchair, and transferring the patient to the wheelchair.
• Types of paralysis include Hemiplegia where one side of the body is affected, Diplegia where both sides of the body, both legs are more affected than the arms, Monoplegia where only one limb is affected, usually an arm, and Triplegia where three limbs are involved, usually both arms and a leg.
• Quadraplegia is a condition where all four limbs are affected.