Jump to content

Open Source Handbook of Nursing/Activity exercise

From Wikibooks, open books for an open world

mobility

[edit | edit source]

Nurses can support client mobility using a number of aids, including

  • wheel chair
  • hydraulic or electric lift (standing or sitting type)
  • crutches
  • slide sheet

Because of the seriousness and frequency of carer injuries, most health care workplaces in industrialized countries have moved to adopt no-lift policies to protect nurses from injuries sustained while mobilizing clients. Nurses have a responsibility for responsible body mechanics around manual handling tasks. For example, should have a wide base of support and prefer pushing to pulling while managing clients in supine or recumbent positions.

sprain

[edit | edit source]

muscular strains occasionally rupture the muscle or associated soft tissue. The first aid treatment for such injuries can be summarized in the mnemonic

  • REST
  • ICE
  • COMPRESSION
  • ELEVATION

Immobilising an injured limb is the best course until a definite diagnosis can be made by a physiotherapist or radiological examination. There are a number of devices available for nurses to use, such as inflatable or re-usable splints and a stop sign sling made with linen around the upper limb, suspended from an intravenous pole or monkey-grip. Full plaster as a form of splinting fractures has largely been replaced by unilateral (back-slab) plaster because of the risk of compression injuries. All splints will require neurovascular observations

  • COLOUR
  • WARMTH
  • MOVEMENT
  • SENSATION
  • PULSES - possibly using a doppler for pulses in the foot.