Importance of Body Mechanics in Lifting and Transporting Patients

This report delves into the critical role of body mechanics in the safe lifting and transportation of patients within healthcare settings. It emphasizes the importance of proper techniques to prevent injuries to both patients and healthcare providers, focusing on spinal health and overall well-being. The report outlines key principles, including maintaining a straight and stacked body posture, keeping the weight close to the body's center of gravity, and utilizing abdominal, buttock, and leg muscles for lifting. It also highlights the potential consequences of improper body mechanics, such as spinal stress and degeneration. The report underscores the necessity for healthcare professionals, particularly nurses, to understand and practice these principles to ensure safe and effective patient handling, ultimately contributing to improved patient outcomes and a reduced risk of workplace injuries. The report also contains figures on hospital safety, body mechanism and patient transportation. The report concludes with a review of lifting and transfer as a routine work for nurses and the need for correct posture of the patient before lifting and transportation to avoid any injuries.

Running head: BODY MECHANISM ON LIFTING AND TRANSPORTING PATIENTS 1
Body Mechanism on Lifting and Transporting Patients
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliations

BODY MECHANISM ON LIFTING AND TRANSPORTING PATIENTS 2
Body Mechanism on Lifting and Transporting Patients
Body mechanisms relate to the ways through which individuals move as they go about
their everyday activities. It encompasses how persons hold their bodies, for example, when they
sleep, bend, carry, lift, stand, or sit. It is important to note that safe patients handling, lifting, and
mobility is significant in reducing patients’ injuries (Sealy et al., 2017). It is crucial for the
medical professional especially nurses to learn and practice the tenets of proper body
mechanisms to ensure safe and secure handling of patients. Good body mechanisms have to
involve positioning as well as moving the patients’ body in such a manner that does not only
restrain injury but also prevent neck and back injury as well as promote or enhance healing
(Hung et al., 2017). This paper endeavors to explore body mechanisms which should be
employed when lifting and transporting patients and the effect of not employing a proper body
mechanics when lifting or transporting patients.
Lifting and transporting a patient would encompass reposition the patient prior to lifting
to circumvent awkward or obstinate positions. The nurse should support the patient’s body as
well as bring the patient from prostrate to sit on the bed’s edge before putting the patient on the
transfer or transportation equipment (Wong et al., 2017). Secondly, it is vital to keep the
patient’s body straight and stacked and avoid any form of twist. Keeping the weight closer to the
body is also significant. Keeping or maintaining a lower center of gravity (COG) provides more
leverage and influence in the transfer performance (Koh et al., 2015). The patient has to be
positioned comfortably to allow easy transportation. It is significant to avoid using the back
muscles to lift the patient rather use abdominal muscles, butt muscles, and leg muscles (Jusoh et
al., 2018). Additionally, it is important to incorporate lordosis which involves deformation of
lumbar, causing the buttocks posterior whereas making the stomach anterior.

BODY MECHANISM ON LIFTING AND TRANSPORTING PATIENTS 3
Figure 1: hospital safety and body mechanism and patient transportation
Figure 2: A patient aligned/positioned straight being transported
Notably, when using the power lift, it is crucial to note that the lifting ought to be carried
out from the waist down keeping the abs tensed, feet apart, and the back straight (Seif et al.,

BODY MECHANISM ON LIFTING AND TRANSPORTING PATIENTS 4
2013). Besides, failure to use a proper or appropriate body mechanism can result in injuries.
Improper body mechanism can subject the spine to abnormal stress which in the long run can
result in spinal structures, for example, joints and discs degeneration as well as wear and tear
(Lee, 2011). For example, it is not proper to pull a patient up the bed or power lift using his or
her shoulders since this can lead to spinal conditions and back injury. However, according to
Mittal et al. (2017), it is proper to use the patient’s buttocks or legs muscles during the pulling.
In conclusion, patients’ lifting and transfer is routine work practiced by the nurses. It
significant to note that improper or inappropriate lifting can result in injuries. The nurses should
ensure patients’ movement and posture of the body to avert unnecessary injuries. The patient’s
body should be in an aligned position, comfortable, and balanced before lifting and
transportation. It is, therefore, crucial for the medical professional especially nurses to learn and
practice the tenets of proper body mechanisms to ensure safe and secure handling of patients.

BODY MECHANISM ON LIFTING AND TRANSPORTING PATIENTS 5
References
Hung, S. C., Mou, C. Y., Hung, H. C., Lin, I. H., Lai, S. W., & Huang, J. Y. (2017). Chest
compression fraction in ambulance while transporting patients with out-of-hospital
cardiac arrest to the hospital in rural Taiwan. Emerg Med J, 34(6), 398-401.
Jusoh, M. A. B. M., Ismail, M. T. B., Rashid, H. B., Lokman, A. M., & Makhtar, A. K. B. (2018,
March). Conceptual Design of the Mechanical Transfer Lift: Through the Application of
EDP And KE. In International Conference on Kansei Engineering & Emotion Research
(pp. 229-238). Springer, Singapore.
Koh, G. C. H., Yen, S. C., Tay, A., Cheong, A., Ng, Y. S., De Silva, D. A., ... & Phan, S. W.
(2015). Singapore Tele-technology Aided Rehabilitation in Stroke (STARS) trial:
protocol of a randomized clinical trial on tele-rehabilitation for stroke patients. BMC
neurology, 15(1), 161.
Lee, F. (2011). Defibrillation. Singapore medical journal, 52(8), 544-547.
Mittal, R., Young, M. E., Tan, C. S., Chen, C., Tham, W. Y., Seong, L. P., ... & Koh, G. C. H.
(2017). Trends of patients’ characteristics admitted into a multi-professional home
medical care service from 2000 to 2009 in Singapore. Home Health Care Management &
Practice, 29(1), 35-45.
Sealy, M. J., Stuiver, M. M., Midtgaard, J., van der Schans, C. P., Roodenburg, J. L., & Jager-
Wittenaar, H. (2017). SUN-P289: Understanding Behavioral Mechanisms for Physical
Activity in Head and Neck Cancer Patients: A Qualitative Study. Clinical Nutrition, 36,
S160-S161.

BODY MECHANISM ON LIFTING AND TRANSPORTING PATIENTS 6
Seif, G. A., Brown, D., & Annan-Coultas, D. (2013). Video-recorded simulated patient
interactions: can they help develop clinical and communication skills in today's learning
environment?. Journal of allied health, 42(2), 37E-44E.
Wong, A. K. S., Ong, S. F., Matchar, D. B., Lie, D., Ng, R., Yoon, K. E., & Wong, C. H. (2017).
Complexities and Challenges of Singapore Nurses Providing Postacute Home Care in
Multicultural Communities: A Grounded Theory Study. Journal of Transcultural Nursing,
1043659617736884.