Moving Patients from Bed to Stretcher (Gurney)
Remember: If you move patient’s legs first, you can decrease the stress on your back by as much as a third.
Patient safety is often the main concern when moving patients from bed. But remember not to lift at the expense of your own back. And, never move a patient by yourself. Two people usually can do this move safely. The leader, who pulls, should be the stronger of the two. The helper holds the draw-sheet, neither pushing nor lifting.
1
Prepare to Move
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Put the head of the bed down and adjust the bed height.
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Put a garbage bag or plastic slide board between the sheet and draw-sheet, beneath one edge of the patient’s torso.
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Move the patient’s legs closer to the edge of the bed.
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Instruct patient to cross arms across chest and explain move to patient.
2
Pull to Edge of Bed
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Grasp the draw-sheet on both sides of the bed.
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On the count of three, lean back and shift your weight, sliding the patient to the edge of the bed. The helper holds the sheet, keeping it from slipping.
3
Position Stretcher
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Have the helper “cradle” the patient in the draw-sheet while you retrieve a stretcher.
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Adjust the bed to be slightly higher than the stretcher. Then, position the stretcher, locking it in place.
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Move the patient’s legs onto the stretcher.
4
Slide onto Stretcher
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Have the helper kneel on the bed, holding on to the draw-sheet.
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On the count of three, grasp the draw-sheet and slide the patient onto the stretcher. You may need to repeat this step.
