EasyShiftTM Repositioning System
- Facilitate patient mobility and comfort
- Save time for nursing staff
- Reduce caregiver musculoskeletal strain
Early mobilization for critically ill patients is important for preventing patient complications and reducing length of stay, cost of care, patient safety, and quality indicators. Frequent patient turning, also known as Q2 turning, is key to pressure injury prevention, also known as bed sores or decubitus ulcers. Lateral rotation keeps patients in the offloaded position, which redistributes pressure to improve circulation and prevent skin breakdown.
Assistive devices can facilitate pressure redistribution and reduce shear forces during patient repositioning to mitigate the consequences of immobility (such as deep tissue shear) on bony prominences such as the sacrum, coccyx, and heels. Air mattress overlays and mobility equipment can perform the heavy lifting for nursing staff, improving nurse productivity and reducing nurse musculoskeletal injuries and nursing worker’s compensation liability. This increases early in-bed mobility for patients to improve circulation, promotes recovery, and decreases length of stay.
Without assistive devices, patients with compromised skin can suffer skin tears, lacerations and abrasions caused by shear forces and acceleration forces during manual positioning. This is a key part of skin breakdown which are considered “Never Events” and can negatively impact CMS reimbursement for hospitals.
Safe patient handling programs integrate hazard assessment, ergonomics, safe patient handling legislation and compliance requirements (such as from OSHA and Joint Commission) and can include interventions such as the Bedside Mobility Assessment Tool, installing patient lifts, lateral transfer devices, early ambulation devices, and patient repositioning devices to reduce occupational musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) among hospital nursing staff.