One of the most daunting tasks for caregivers in a wide range of health care sectors is to correctly and safely move a patient. A lot of people are involved in these moves, and a lot can go wrong if they are not carefully orchestrated. Another difficulty of transfers is that they need to account for the patient’s actual state, such as the current condition, illness, or potential accidents.

High Angle Shot in the hospital lobby, young man waits for results while sitting and using mobile phone, doctors, nurses and patients walk past him.

Although maintaining the patient’s safety is a priority, it is also essential for the caregiver to protect themselves to prevent personal injury. While patients may benefit significantly from the transition, there are also many risks. Therefore, it is important to decide to initiate the patient’s move with proper consideration of the costs and benefits.

Here are five tips on how to improve your patient move planning.

1.  Consider the Risks of Patient Transfers

Certain guidelines must be met during a patient’s transfer. Some of the areas where issues usually arise are: arranging the transfer, the facilities used for the transfer, the amount of preparation of the workers attending to the ill patient, and the extent of expertise of the nurse or nurses handling the patient.

Critically ill patients are classified as at risk during a move. However, those risks can be significantly minimized by proper preparation, adequately trained workers, and the use of the right equipment.

2.  Which Equipment Will Need to Go With the Transfer

With periodic pulse monitoring, blood pressure issues, or oxygen needs, patients who are transferred will need to be closely monitored. This should always be considered for the secure transfer of the patient. To allow precise monitoring of patients during the move, several types of equipment are widely available. Testing should be done to ensure that the right machine is chosen. Additionally, training sessions would need to be coordinated to promote the secure use of the equipment.

3.  Keep Everything Organized

Prior to the transfer, the patient must be checked to detect any worsening of their health condition that may impact the treatment given or delay the move. Before moving patients, there are important concerns to resolve and ensure that there have been taken care of. This can mitigate the possible hazards that can arise during the move.

4.  Ensure Proper Training and Expertise

There has been a lot of discussion about the degree of expertise and experience needed for assisting patients during a move. It is advised that a minimum of two attendants accompany critically ill patients, but an exception can be applied depending on the situation. For example, the nurse or nurses accompanying a sick patient who needs a piece of special equipment should have experience using that particular equipment. Workers usually facilitating transfer are trained at an advanced level and are highly qualified to evaluate the patient.

5.  Avoid Adverse Effects at All Cost

The method of moving patients to other departments has considerable potential for a deterioration of the quality of treatment. The potential risks of many circumstances can be prevented by proper planning and analysis. Before and during transfer, the main goal is to ensure adequate and safe preparation with sufficient equipment to monitor the patient. The careful organization will avoid any bad situations, but it can also ensure that the care quality is enhanced.

All the tips above break down to two important things to remember: planning and communication. It is always important to have a proper arrangement with the receiving party to ensure that the transferred patients get the best maximum care as soon as the transition takes place. Without proper equipment or an experienced worker to assist on the move, it’s better to postpone first than put the patient at risk.

Need Help with Your Patient Move Plan?

VOC Associates has experience in patent moving, in addition to all the other parts of medical equipment planning and procurement. Our team will help you build an all-inclusive plan to cover everything you will need. Visit our website or call (216) 238-2088 today!

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Get in touch with our medical and dental equipment experts. VOC understands this challenge and provides customized planning and transition services to minimize the impact to your team and ensure a successful outcome.