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Difficulty: MediumErgonomics and Safe Use of Equipment

A practical nurse is preparing to transfer a non-weight-bearing client from a bed to a bedside chair using a full-body mechanical lift. As the sling is positioned and the lift is slightly elevated, the client becomes acutely confused, thrashing their arms and attempting to remove the sling loops. Which action should the nurse take?

  1. A
    Instruct the unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) to operate the lift controls while the nurse manually holds the client's arms.
  2. B
    Secure the client's wrists to the lift sling using soft restraints to prevent them from unhooking the loops.
  3. Lower the lift to return the client's weight to the bed and request additional staff assistance.Answer
  4. D
    Continue the transfer quickly while verbally explaining to the client that they will be safely in the chair soon.

Answer

The correct action is to lower the lift to return the client's weight to the bed and request additional staff assistance.
Safe equipment operation protocols for full-body mechanical lifts dictate that the client must be calm enough to maintain a stable center of gravity. If a client becomes acutely agitated and thrashes while suspended, there is an immediate risk of the sling unhooking or the patient falling out. The absolute priority is patient safety, which requires the nurse to immediately lower the client back onto the stable surface of the bed before taking any further action or attempting to de-escalate the confusion.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the immediate equipment safety hazard.
The client is thrashing while suspended in a mechanical lift, which severely alters their center of gravity and creates a high risk of a catastrophic fall or equipment tipping.
Mechanical lifts require the client to be relatively still and cooperative to maintain balance and ensure the sling loops remain securely attached to the lifting hooks.
2
Determine the safest immediate ergonomic intervention.
The nurse must immediately reverse the elevation of the lift.
Lowering the client back onto the bed places them on a stable, secure surface where they cannot fall, neutralizing the immediate physical hazard.
3
Evaluate alternative actions to ensure they do not violate safety protocols.
Proceeding with the lift, delegating operation during an emergency, or applying unauthorized restraints are all ruled out as unsafe.
These actions ignore the acute physical instability of the suspended client and violate safe equipment operation protocols.

Key Concept

Ergonomics and Safe Use of Equipment
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Topics

Ergonomics and Safe Use of Equipment

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