Nursing & Healthcare Programs

Assisting the Resident to Transfer from the Bed to a Chair or Wheelchair

Written by Hollie Finders, RN
Hollie Finders is a registered nurse with years of experience working in the health care field. She has degrees in both biochemistry and nursing. After working with patients of all ages, Hollie now specializes in pediatric intensive care nursing. Hollie’s LinkedIn

Procedure

Equipment needed: gait belt, non-skid footwear, and chair or wheelchair.

  1. Perform hand hygiene.
  2. Explain the procedure to the resident and ask for his or her assistance in following directions.
  3. Place a chair or wheelchair right next to the bed on the resident’s unaffected side. The chair should be at the head of the bed and facing the foot of the bed.
  4. Lock the wheels of the chair or wheelchair if applicable.
  5. Assist the resident in sitting on the side of the bed. Raise or lower the bed so the resident’s feet are flat on the floor. Apply non-skid footwear to the resident’s feet.
  6. If available, fasten a gait belt securely around the resident’s waist.
  7. Stand in front of the resident and assume a proper lifting position. Align your legs with the resident’s legs to prevent him or her from slipping.
  8. If using a gait belt, firmly grasp the belt on both sides of the resident. If no gait belt is available, wrap your arms around the resident’s torso, keeping his or her arms free.
  9. Ask the resident to stand while supporting his or her movement. You may instruct the resident to push off the bed to assist in standing.
  10. Instruct the resident to take small, slow steps toward the chair. Have the resident pivot so that the backs of his or her legs are touching the chair.
  11. Tell the resident to reach backward and grab the chair’s armrests. Then, gently lower the resident into the chair as he or she sits down.
  12. Ensure the resident’s bottom is all the way back in the chair. Align the resident’s body and support with pillows, if needed.
  13. Remove the gait belt.
  14. Attach footrests to the wheelchair if needed, or raise the footrest on the chair if desired.
  15. Transport the resident by wheelchair or place the call light within the resident’s reach.
  16. Perform hand hygiene.
  17. Document the procedure in the resident’s chart and report any changes in the resident’s condition to the nurse.

Important Information

It is important to remember on which side to place the chair when assisting a patient in transferring. Putting the chair on the resident’s unaffected side allows the resident to lead with his or her strong extremity. This eases the procedure for the resident and reduces the risk of falling [1].

A gait belt should always be used when available and appropriate for the resident’s condition. A gait belt is not used for lifting, but instead is used to help guide a resident’s movements [1]. Gait belts also give the health care worker something to hold onto while the resident transfers and can be used to help lower the resident to the floor if he or she begins to fall.

References

1. Guidelines for Nursing Homes

More Resources

Partial Bed Bath

Bathing is an important part of a patient’s health routine. A partial bed bath focuses on bathing sensitive areas that cause discomfort if not cleansed frequently, such as the face, hands, axillae, back, and perineum. Though patients receiving a bed bath are typically confined to the bed, some are able to wash themselves and should be encouraged to do so to promote independence.

Orthopneic Position

Patients with respiratory illnesses such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) find ways to help themselves breathe more easily. This can include sleeping with extra pillows to keep them propped up or leaning forward to ease the work of breathing. The orthopneic position is one forward-leaning position used to help patients breathe comfortably when they are having difficulty.

Measuring the Radial Pulse

The radial artery, located in the wrist, is easy to feel and an efficient location to measure heart rate. Changes to the rhythm or strength of the radial pulse can indicate heart disease, damage to the arm, or body fluid status. It is important to remember to check the radial pulse on both sides as differences between left and right can indicate injury or disease processes.

Dressing and Undressing a Patient

Patients who have suffered a stroke or have weakness or injury to one side of their body may struggle with dressing and undressing. In order to help these patients regain their strength and independence, it is important that the nurse’s aide only assist them as needed. The nurse’s aide may need to teach patients how to dress and undress safely with their limitations.

Offering the Bedpan

When a resident is bed-bound, they must use a bedpan to urinate and defecate. This can be embarrassing for the resident, so it should be done with sensitivity to the resident’s privacy and dignity. There are two types of bedpans. A regular bedpan is the deeper and more rounded of the two. A fracture pan has a relatively flat upper end with a trough at the lower end. Fracture pans are used for residents who have difficulty, or restrictions against, moving their hips and/or backs.

Prone Position

Prone position is not used as commonly as other patient positions. This position allows for full extension of the hips and the knees and gives many bony prominences a break from continuous pressure. However, placing patients in prone position does not come without the risks of pressure ulcers.