S- STOP
Before touching a patient, this is the very first thing you should look at to determine how much help you may need.
What is a white board?
To protect your lower back when preparing to turn or transfer a patient in bed, the bed should always be raised to this anatomical level?
What is waist?
Before a patients feet ever touch the floor during a bed to chair transfer, this safety mechanism must be engaged on all surfaces.
What is the brakes?
You are preparing a patient for a stand pivot transfer to a wheelchair. Even if the patient is wearing a gait belt and has great sitting balance, you must prepare their feet with these two mandatory safety checks before allowing then to stand.
What is ensuring they are wearing non skid socks/shoes and that their feet are flat on the floor, spaced shoulder width apart?
During the STOP phrase, if you notice even ONE red flag- such as a patient sounding confused, a wet floor, a missing gait belt- the rule of the program dictates you must do this before proceeding
What is Halt the transfer completely until the hazard is fixed or additional help arrives. (Never push through a red flag)
A patient has been bed bound for several days. Before standing them up to walk to the commode, you have them sit at the side of the bed. You are checking for this specific condition, and your back-up plan is to immediately lay them back down if it occurs.
What is orthostatic hypotension?
Name three common "lines" or "tubes" that must be managed and cleared of slack before initiating a patients transfer to prevent accidental pulling.
What are IV lines, Foley catheters, and oxygen tubing?
True or False: If a patient has a gait belt on, it is perfectly safe to pull them up by their arms or armpits if they start to give out?
What is false. (Pulling under the arms can cause shoulder dislocation or brachial plexus injury; always hold the gait belt)
If a patient was an independent transfer according to the board yesterday; but received a heavy dose of narcotics an hour ago, you must do this before moving them now.
5 second screening
When executing a multi-person transfer with a complex patient, having a back-up plan means establishing this specific role before anyone begins the transfer process
Who is the team leader. (typically the person at the head of the bed or controlling the lines)?
You have Stopped, Thought, and organized. Now in the final prepare phrase of a mechanical lift transfer, you realize the patient's skin is highly fragile and prone to shearing. To execute this safely, you must position the patient in this specific manner.
what is sitting upright?
To ensure a patient understands the transfer plan and won't panic mid-move, we use this communication technique to have them repeat the steps back to us.
What is the teach back method?