How should a nursing assistant transfer a resident who has a stronger side and a weaker side

Follow these steps to move a patient from bed to a wheelchair. The technique below assumes the patient can stand on at least one leg.

If the patient cannot use at least one leg, you will need to use a lift to transfer the patient.

Think through the steps before you act and get help if you need it. If you are not able to support the patient by yourself, you could injure yourself and the patient.

Make sure any loose rugs are out of the way to prevent slipping. You may want to put non-skid socks or shoes on the patient's feet if the patient needs to step onto a slippery surface.

The following steps should be followed:

• Explain the steps to the patient.
• Park the wheelchair next to the bed, close to you.
• Put the brakes on and move the footrests out of the way.

Before transferring into the wheelchair, the patient must be sitting.

Allow the patient to sit for a few moments, in case the patient feels dizzy when first sitting up.

The following steps should be followed when getting ready to transfer a patient:

• To get the patient into a seated position, roll the patient onto the same side as the wheelchair.
• Put one of your arms under the patient's shoulders and one behind the knees. Bend your knees.
• Swing the patient's feet off the edge of the bed and use the momentum to help the patient into a sitting position.
• Move the patient to the edge of the bed and lower the bed so the patient's feet are touching the ground.

If you have a gait belt, place it on the patient to help you get a grip during the transfer. During the turn, the patient can either hold onto you or reach for the wheelchair. They should not wrap their arms around your head or neck.

Stand as close as you can to the patient, reach around the chest, and lock your hands behind the patient or grab the gait belt.

The following steps should be followed:

• Place the patient's outside leg (the one farthest from the wheelchair) between your knees for support. Bend your knees and keep your back straight.
• Count to three and slowly stand up. Use your legs to lift.
• At the same time, the patient should place their hands by their sides and help push off the bed.
• The patient should help support their weight on their good leg during the transfer.
• Pivot towards the wheelchair, moving your feet so your back is aligned with your hips.
• Once the patient's legs are touching the seat of the wheelchair, bend your knees to lower the patient into the seat. At the same time, ask the patient to reach for the wheelchair armrest.

If the patient starts to fall during the transfer, lower the person to the nearest flat surface, bed, chair or floor.

Pivot turn; Transfer from bed to wheelchair

American Red Cross. Assisting with positioning and transferring. In: American Red Cross. American Red Cross Nurse Assistant Training Textbook. 4th ed. American National Red Cross; 2018:chap 11.

Bergman R, De Jesus O. Patient care transfer techniques. [Updated 2021 Oct 21]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021 Jan-. Available from: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK564305.

Smith SF, Duell DJ, Martin BC, Gonzalez L, Aebersold M. Body mechanics and positioning. In: Smith SF, Duell DJ, Martin BC, Gonzalez L, Aebersold M, eds. Clinical Nursing Skills: Basic to Advanced Skills. 9th ed. New York, NY: Pearson; 2017:chap 12.

Timby BK. Assisting the inactive client. In: Timby BK, ed. Fundamentals of nursing skills and concepts. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer Health: Lippincott Williams & Wilkens; 2017:unit 6.

Updated by: Jennifer K. Mannheim, ARNP, Medical Staff, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

Helping residents into positions that promote comfort and good health

The resident lies flat on his back

A resident lies on either side, ideally the knee is flexed

Resident lies on stomach or front side of the body (not comfortable)

Semi sitting position (45-60 degrees)

Left side lying position, the lower arm is behind the back and upper knee is flexed and raised toward the chest

An extra sheet placed on top of the bottom sheet when the bed is made

Running or friction that results from the skin moving one way and the bone underneath it remaining fixed or moving in the opposite direction

Moving a resident as a unit without disturbing the alignment of the body

Means to sit up on the side of the bed with the legs hanging over the side

The science of design equipment, areas, and work tasks to make them safer and to suit the workers abilities

A safety device used to transfer residents who are weak, unsteady, or uncoordinated

When a transfer belt is used to help a resident walk

(Transfer board) used to help transfer residents who are unable to bear weight on their legs

Someone who can get out of bed and walk

A straight cane with a curved with a curved handle at the top

Similar to the c cane except that it has a straight grip handle, rather than a curved handle

Has four rubber-tipped feet and a rectangular base- designed to bear more weight than other canes

Used when the resident can bear some weight on the legs

Why do residents who spend a lot of time in bed or wheel chairs need to be repositioned often?

They are at risk of skin breakdown and pressure ulcers

In this position the resident is lying on either side

In this position the resident is lying on his stomach

Reposition residents without causing shearing

A resident in the fowlers position is

In a semi-sitting position

Should the na check the residents alignment in the chair after a transfer is completed?

What should residents call the weaker side of a patients body?

Where should the na place the fair belt?

Over the residents clothing and around the waist

What is used to transfer residents who cannot bear weight on their legs?

What do mechanical and hydraulic lifts prevent?

Prevents injury to the resident and NA

When transferring residents who have one-sided weakness which side moves first?

If a resident starts to fall what is the best thing a NA can do?

Bend her knees and lower the resident to the floor

A resident who has some difficulty balancing but can bear weight on both legs should use a

Ambulation is another word for

In addition to a gait belt what equipment should the NA have when assisting a resident to ambulate?

If the resident is unable to stand without help, the NA should

Brace the residents lower extremities

When helping a visually-impaired resident walk, it is important for the na to

Let the resident walk beside and slightly behind her

What has four rubber tipped feet?

When using a can the resident should place it on his ______ side

What are proper body mechanics?

Assess the weight load, don't lift if you don't think you can. Communicate. Do not twist. Tighten your stomach muscles, keep object close to your body, lift only to your waste, push when possible

Bed bound residents should be repositioned every...

When transferring resident who have a strong side and a weak side?

What is the best way for a nursing assistant to help a resident to walk?

Which of the following is true of a transfer belt?

When helping the visually impaired resident walk the NA should walk slightly behind the resident?