Safe Resident Handling - Online Inservice

This Safe Resident Handling course will provide participants with a review of the basic safety considerations and guidelines necessary to protect themselves and their residents from injury during activities of daily living (ADLs) related to positioning, lifting and transferring. This comprehensive review can be utilized for nursing assistive personnel throughout all healthcare settings, as the safety considerations for safe handling do not change according to level of acuity. Within this course, the participant will review the basics of body mechanics, preparing for safe positioning, lifting and transferring, identifying and appropriately using assistive devices, improving communication to promote safety, step-by-step instructions for a variety of safe transferring scenarios, safe operation of mechanical lift equipment, and how to complete incident reporting in a timely and thorough manner.   

Objectives

1. Define proper body mechanics used for positioning, lifting and transferring.
2. Explain several ways that workplace injury can be avoided.
3. Identify potential complications and consequences of back injury.
4. Summarize the importance of timely and thorough incident reporting.
5. Describe ways to identify the resident’s needs related to positioning, lifting and transferring.
6. Discuss how to safely use assistive devices for positioning, lifting and transferring.
7. Explain how improving communication can promote safety.
8. Explain how to safely use a mechanical lift for transferring.
9. Describe how to safely assist a resident into a vehicle
10. Demonstrate how to safely move a resident up in bed.
11. Demonstrate how to safely assist a resident to sit on the side of the bed – “dangling”.
12. Demonstrate how to safely transfer a resident from the bed to a stretcher.
13. Demonstrate how to safely transfer a resident from the bed to wheelchair.
14. Demonstrate how to safely transfer a resident onto and off of a toilet or bedside commode.
15. Demonstrate how to safely assist a resident to ambulate using a transfer belt.

Curriculum

Chapter 1: Using Proper Body Mechanics to Prevent Injury

• Principles of Body Mechanics
• Protecting your Back 
• Preventing Resident Injury
• Incident Reporting 

Chapter 2: Understanding the Resident’s Needs for Safe Positioning, Lifting and Transfers

• Identifying the Resident’s Needs
• Assessing the Load 
• Understanding How to Safely Use Assistive Devices

Chapter 3:  Improving Communication to Promote Safety

• Following the Resident Care Plan
• Providing Instructions for Residents - Before, During and After Positioning, Lifts and Transfers
• Asking for Help if Needed

Chapter 4: Step by Step Guide to Safe Positioning, Lifts and Transfers

• Moving a Resident up in Bed
• Positioning a Resident on their Side
• Assisting a Resident to sit up on the side of the Bed – also known as “dangling”
• Transferring a Resident from Bed to Stretcher 
• Transferring a Resident from Bed to Wheelchair 
• Transferring a Resident onto and off of a Toilet or Bedside Commode
• Transferring a Resident by using a Mechanical Lift
• Assisting a Resident to Ambulate using a Transfer Belt

Chapter 5: Print Course Handouts

• Course materials handouts; exam, exam key, certificate of completion
• Skill Competency Checklists

Chapter 6: References