Pivot turn; Transfer from bed to wheelchair
Follow these steps to move a patient from bed to a wheelchair. The technique below assumes the patient can stand on at least one leg.
If the patient cannot use at least one leg, you will need to use a lift to transfer the patient.
Think through the steps before you act and get help if you need it. If the patient is not able to stand, take small steps, and support their body weight, you should get help.
Make sure any loose rugs are out of the way to prevent slipping. You may want to put non-skid socks or shoes on the patient's feet if the patient needs to step onto a slippery surface.
The following steps should be followed:
Before transferring into the wheelchair, the patient must be sitting.
Allow the patient to sit for a few moments, in case the patient feels dizzy when first sitting up.
The following steps should be followed when getting ready to transfer a patient:
If you have a gait belt, place it on the patient to help you get a grip during the transfer. During the turn, the patient can either hold onto you or reach for the wheelchair. They should not wrap their arms around your head or neck.
Stand as close as you can to the patient, reach around the chest, and lock your hands behind the patient or grab the gait belt.
The following steps should be followed:
If the patient starts to fall during the transfer, lower the person to the nearest flat surface, bed, chair, or floor.
Bergman R, De Jesus O. Patient care transfer techniques. [Updated 2022 Oct 17]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan-. Available from: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK564305.
De Jong MR. Essentials of patient care for the sonographer. In: Hagen-Ansert S, ed. Textbook of Diagnostic Sonography. 9th ed. St Louis, MO: Elsevier; 2023:chap 2.
Smith SF, Duell DJ, Martin BC, Gonzalez L, Aebersold M. Body mechanics and positioning. In: Smith SF, Duell DJ, Martin BC, Gonzalez L, Aebersold M, eds. Clinical Nursing Skills: Basic to Advanced Skills. 9th ed. New York, NY: Pearson; 2016:chap 12.
BACK TO TOPReview Date: 10/28/2023
Reviewed By: Jennifer K. Mannheim, ARNP, Medical Staff, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Health Content Provider
06/01/2025
|
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, for Health Content Provider (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics. This site complied with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information from 1995 to 2022, after which HON (Health On the Net, a not-for-profit organization that promoted transparent and reliable health information online) was discontinued. |
The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997- 2024 A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.