Use of Assistive Devices to Lift, Transfer, and Reposition Hospital Patients

Devices to lift, transfer, and reposition patients are recommended for healthcare workers' and patients' safety, but their intended use has yet to be fully realized.

The aim of this study was to describe hospital nursing staff use of lift/transfer devices and the presence of factors at the time of lifts/transfers with potential to influence whether devices are used.

Participants were 108 US nursing staff in a university-based medical center and two community hospitals. A self-completed questionnaire was used to collect demographic and work characteristics, typical frequency of patient lifts/transfers, training in and typical use of lift equipment, and specific factors that could influence use. Proportional distributions of lifting/transferring and repositioning frequencies in a typical shift, amount of equipment use, and factors present were examined overall and across worker and work-related characteristics.

Although trained in equipment use, only 40% used equipment for at least half of lifts/transfers. During lifts/transfers, factors often present included patient unable to help with lift/transfer (91.3%) or of a size/weight where participant needed assistance to help lift/transfer (87.5%); availability of others who could assist with manual lift (86.3%) or use of lift equipment (82.4%); and equipment functioning properly (86.4%), having supplies available (82.5%), and being easy to retrieve from storage (81.6%). During repositioning tasks, physical assistance was "always/almost always" provided from coworkers (83.3%) and often perceived as "very helpful" (92.6%) in reducing physical demands. Physical assistance from patients was less common (14.0% "always/almost always") yet perceived as "very helpful" by 66.3%. One fifth always used friction-reducing devices.

Despite training in their use, nursing staff use of available lift equipment and assistive devices is limited. Factors present at the time of lifts/transfers that may influence equipment/device use reflect a complex mix of patient, worker, equipment, and situational characteristics.