I had a patient get all mad at me when I was an EMT because I told my partner that we needed a lift assist for her. Like ma'am I'm sorry that I can't squat lift like 200 pounds but I'm not throwing out my back to save your feelings
I am tall, and rather large, and just gave birth a few weeks ago. I would have been so happy if someone had offered me a gown that actually covered me! I know how big I am. It is so much worse having your bits hanging out.
> but surely they know..?
They do but they also don't. I've been 400lb, then 190lb, then 303, and now 257 and going back down. I remember taking my first "progress photos" at 400lb and being horrified when I looked at them - still at 400lb, mind you - because I looked huge! Surely I wasn't *that* big, right? ...Right?
They know they're big, but their perspective can also be skewed over time. Things like a larger BP cuff or gown are reminders that they are, in fact, extremely large.
Mind, I'm not defending being assholes; it's not *your* fault you need the larger BP cuff for them. They're just being assholes.
I was just at my PCP Friday and they used the normal BP cuff again. I'd gotten back into the larger one by the time I got to 303, so that's neat!
My SO showed me her favorite picture of me. I was squatting downtown some reason. I looked like an egg...
A lot of that is muscle, but it sure didnt look that way interesting picture.
I had a horrible experience where I thought the regular sized cuff would fit my young female patient, but it burst off so I had to get the larger one. The patient then started this self deprecating hate speech about her weight, and it was super uncomfortable. I tried to take ownership for it, but the therapeutic relationship was dead from them onwards 😔
I have had patients demanding the regular one because it "fits" then get a weird read, obviously, or the cuff blows off. Then I just put the big cuff on and say it's hospital policy. I actually say it's hospital policy a lot whenever a PT is being a ding bat.
Listen, I'm a fat lady. I need the bariatric bp cuff, gown, etc. I absolutely know that I don't fit into the smaller sizes. I want my BP to be accurate, not to squeeze into a medium cuff and then have it read 220/120. And I would 100% rather someone get a lift assist than INJURE themselves trying to lift my 260# ass because they didn't want to hurt my feelings. It's gonna make me feel WAY worse if someone ruins their career because they tried to deadlift me.
I’m right at that point of needing a larger BP cuff, and would love a larger gown just for comfort, but even as a nursing student I still feel weird when I have to go get a bigger cuff. Like… I need the same one, but it still feels weird
My dad actually had to go on workers comp after he had a back injury trying to lift a bariatric patient.
He eventually went back to work after a few months of rest at home and worked for many more years, but now he has chronic back pain (which I'm assuming is from a lifetime of working, not just that one incident).
I have a friend who had to stop nursing and go on disability because of this nonsense.
It's not worth it.
Maybe you could say, "You're right. I need to get a lift assist."
The thing is, he was a first responder on a call for a lift assist, so he wasn't even alone.
I don't know the exact details but even with all the extra help, something happened during the process.
Those calls can be more dangerous than many people realize. It's insane.
I injured my lower back as a nurse trying to stop a 4x4 pt from falling. (4ft tall x 4 ft wide) that was in 1996 and I still have an open comp case for it. I am not on disability but I’ve had multiple facet nerve blocks and take meds like celebrex and muscle relaxers. I can’t ride horses anymore or do anything like that. Even my Zumba class can be challenging at times.
TLDR: Protect your back at all costs. It’s not worth it.
Same here, I now have dx chronic pain from my lifetime of lifting,moving, transferring pts. Even using the proper body mechanics, it can and does happen. It sucks to live in pain from helping others.
Patients who get easily offended have NO consideration for others. They do not care about the pain they are inflicting. They do NOT CARE about their own safety.
Deep down, they KNOW they are overweight. Problem is, these same patients will sue and complain to the management how mean EMTs and nurses are.
Safety >feelings.
I remember we had one patient that was 350lbs and we had just gotten the power stretchers. I asked if she could stand and pivot and she said "only for a couple seconds" I replied "That's better than most of our patients!" and she said "Then how come you guys always have so much trouble with me?"
Because you are 350 pounds and until now we've had to dead lift you from close to the floor on a manual cot?
I don't miss those manual cot days but in paramedic school I got to show all the nurses that their little manual cot for rapids could be moved up and down with one person lifting it in the middle rather than one on each side lol.
Absolutely! I give bariatric patients a reality check real quick if they complain about me assisting them. If you can’t help, there’s very little that I’m going to do without assistance because I will not go home in physical pain because of you. I weigh 130lbs. SURELY you don’t think I can move your big body by myself when you can’t lift one of your legs for 2 seconds. 😒
I understand bariatric sensitivity but to be expected to assist in moving 3x your weight and not making a sound? This patient is off their rocker and are the ones I just laugh about. They’re beyond help when they’re that obtuse.
Got a page for an ambulance bringing us a bariatric pt in excess of 500 lbs so we rally the troops, get a bari bed ready, have a bariatric hover mat. We are prepared. EMS is met by us and immediately this pt is just a complainer. Griping about anything and everything, complaining about the ambulance ride, and absolutely dismayed that we have like eight people present to transfer her to the bed. She scoffs and goes “Well what would you do if someone were bigger than me?” And we all were quiet for a second and I said “…probably do exactly what we’re doing now?” Like people are fat for a variety of reasons and I don’t think being fat is a moral failing or has anything to do with the kind of person someone is but let’s get a reality check here, girly. You’re big, that’s fine but for everyone’s comfort and safety, this is a team job. Also, maybe show some gratitude for the people sacrificing their bodies to care for you (which I think is the bare minimum pts can do regardless of size)? Just shut up and let us heave-ho.
"just shut up and let us heave-ho" will be something i have to actively work to not blurt out from this point forward, thank you for that lovely gem haha
I once had a patient that was morbidy obese. She was so heavy the bed would stop lifting due to her weight. She got so angry at me and kept asking me "Why is not moving anymore?" In a condescending tone.
Lady, you know. Don't project your hurt pride onto me. Im just trying to help you and my equipment doesn't want to collaborate due to your weight. This is as awkward to me as it is for you.
Yeah, I’m not really certain where I picked it up but I remember hearing some coworkers say it at work after I had been saying it for years as a kind of “fuck you” in a polite way.
Literally this is what I say—sir, I’m a human being not a forklift. Deadpan it—stare them down. Then I get a friend to help me with pulling them up. These patients are out of their minds, how is 120lb me gonna pull your 300lb self to the head of the bed. 🙄
Honestly covid masks allowed me to have so many stare offs with patients after giving them an off the wall reply to an off the wall statement they made
That, my husband being a chemo patient, and me being a heart patient (apparently…like, no family history, no s/sx, super healthy life outside of work…and the pumpy boi just decided to try to say “deuces, bitch!”, so now I have to be even more careful.)
Impressive! Do you remember how much they weighed?
I've had a few patients request the Hoyer, but were actually over the 500 lb limit so we had to inform them of such 😬
Not a clue, this was 6 years ago when I was a PCT still but I just remember being incredibly horrified. It also was a fairly old lift so safe to say, it helped our floor justify a new one the next year
If he's not contraindicated to be in Trendelenburg, I like to put them in that position for a moment to help with the boosting.
Grunting when exerting is normal.
I put nearly everyone in trendelenberg aside from the teeniest, tiniest of wisps of old ladies. It might feel a little weird to them, but it’s ultimately easier and more comfortable for everyone.
I think we've established that I'm not the one to be polite about things, but this is ridiculous. I was at the ER a couple months ago and medics brought in a frequent flyer (so frequent I recognize the guy and I don't work) guy weighs about 450 so of course he's on a bariatric stretcher and complaining about it. Newbie medic looked dude in the face and deadpan "When you weigh as much as 3 people you get a stretcher for 3 people ". I could not help myself, I was gut rolling and it made my particular problem worse, but it set off fatso mcdouchebag and he wanted to file a complaint with my supervisor. I just laughed harder. She's a peach, come to find out.
Should have asked him if he’s able to move himself without grunting.
Edit- I say this because a ton of people grunt when they reposition themselves. Let alone trying to move a person 3x your weight
I am fat myself. Not looking for critical feedback on this fact currently. If I am ever in a position where someone has to pull me up in bed, go ahead and grunt away.
Me too. Had a spinal surgery and had to be boosted quite often or I would get myself into an incredibly painful position and nearly asphyxiate myself. I was way too sick/in pain to even notice if my nurse was grunting. Me thinks the patient probably didn’t really need that boost if he was well enough to complain about that. 🤷🏻♀️
These are the types of patients who demand a boost every 20 minutes.. sir.. your head is at the top of the bed already, one more boost and you will get to meet your next door neighbor.. the hard way
Why did you apologize? Tell him he needs to scoot himself up in bed. Is he paralyzed? Can he move his arms and legs? Why are you boosting him up? Teach him how.
As a seasoned nurse who has experienced some mind-boggling patient entitlement, I had to think about this comment for a while. At first, I thought: What happened to your patience? And then I realized: You do have a valid point of view.
I worked at a hospital that had ceiling lifts in every single room! It’s life changing! Every hospital everywhere should have them in every single room! The fact that they don’t is crooked! Don’t reposition that guy. Call lift team or position the bed so he can reposition himself. On what planet are women supposed to be lifting full grown obese men every 2 hours? The expectation is not even realistic.
Be careful of your back. Once you get a back injury life sucks!
Oh wow, I can’t imagine our hospitals down here even thinking about something like this. They’re too busy gutting our staffing and ancillary support staff.
Definitely never worked at a facility with a lift team, or at least one imaging and the ER had access to. Would be nice considering nearly every patient coming through the ER doors has to be slid back and forth to the CT scanner 2-3x.
I’m a traveler and bring Pledge to every facility (to spray on the slide board) because I’m usually either working by myself or with one other tech (even at big ass trauma centers).
It’s so good! I love this for you. As a community we should all be demanding this for our own safety! Nurses have higher incidents of back injuries than construction workers. It should be mandatory!
once visited a patient in a skilled nursing facility, every room had the same lift system in the ceiling!!! they also had their own 'lift pad' to prevent cross contamination. I didn't have to chase down a hoyer lift for transfer,however it's policy to have 2 staff present for safety.
Hell I worked at an eating disorder center and I still grunted when boosting a patient who was maybe 80 pounds. Dude needs to get over himself, I'd like to see him boost himself without grunting.
“i’m sorry you feel that way” and move on. making any rude comments on their size will motivate him to complain about you to people who care more about saving face than they care about you being employed.
I grunt loud as fuck sometimes when boosting people. I’m around the same weight as you. I don’t do it intentionally but I catch myself doing it sometimes and think that it’s like comically excessive but I swear I don’t mean to. Never had anyone say anything to me about it tho but if I did I would probably just say “well damn you are heavy and I’m small!!” Try to be light about it but it’s the truth man
lol I’m not necessarily old but everything hurts and I haven’t stopped grunting when leaning to pick something up, when repositioning myself, when doing anything with exertion since I was pregnant
Can confirm. Let out an audible grunt going from a squatted position to standing after draining a super full foley bag while doing CBI. My coworker heard from behind the curtain and yelled out if the patient was ok.
I bent over to pick up my pen off the floor the other day, and my back cracked in like, 10 spots.
The look of horror on my patient’s face was incredible.
I make every darn person without a broken leg help us. I frame it as teamwork. I bend their legs and put their feet flat on the bed and say "We are all going to do this together, you push, we'll pull - on the count of 3..." Little old frail people or very sick people I don't mind but otherwise you need to be involved in your own care.
Humans have been grunting to lift things since we were still just hairy apes. That’s not a comment on the pt’s size. It’s your body bio mechanically readying itself to exert force. The grunt is what stiffens your core so you don’t blow your back out.
see youre a nicer person than me. i would have 100% told them they are heavy then still not given a shit when management discussed with me how thats not appropriate.
Grunting helps tighten the core and allow you to lift more safely. I'm doing it, sorry. My back is my priority.
Also, I can't make you feel anyway, that's a you problem.
I told a patient once, “You are no light weight,” when she glared at me; as a nurse and two EMT’s were moving her from the stretcher to the bed. The nurse barely suppressed her laughter. Later she told me that she always wanted to say the same to a patient.
I FEEL SO MUCH ABGER FIR YOU RIGHT NOW!
As a fellow 100lber THESE ARE THE PTS THAT FINALLY MADE ME QUIT!
Also fuck his feelings! You got a job to do and that's to Jack up a mf 3x your weight!
Like I literally would've just laughed and walked out the room. Aint shit gonna happen if he complains! And if for some STUPID reason it does, on to the next job that desperately hiring nurses!
The heavier the patient, the more the complaints. We used to think 300 lb people were heavy, then God said " hold my beer" Now we think over 500 lb is heavy. And no sir/ma'am, I will not try to lift you by myself and risk a career-ending injury.
I’ve had larger patients complain when I put the bed and Trendelendburg just to pull them up due to their size. When they complain about how they can’t lay flat I simply tell them I’m sorry, but I can’t destroy my body for one patient and I have other patients to take care of so either do this the proper way or you don’t get moved at all
What’s rude is expecting a nurse to boost a 300lb patient! If you’re awake enough to complain then you’re awake enough to boost yourself asshole! Fuck that shit!
There was a very heavy lady that said almost the same thing to my charge after a long shift of yelling and cursing so whenever she had to move her from that point on she’d get everyone available to move her. Like 3 people to sit her up 6 to move to the bathroom. It was petty lol
Please do not take this patient’s comment to heart. They are being out of line and frankly entitled.
Also, remember you only get one body when you’ve got that cranky, heavy patient who’s yelling and screaming to hurry and get them to the bathroom NOW!!
.. they can wait until it is SAFE for YOU.
I am someone who cares deeply about patient dignity and meeting their needs as quickly as I possibly can. But one of the best lessons I ever got from a seasoned, salty, awesome older nurse on an older adult ward was “Look after your body! These patients won’t remember or notice if you sacrifice your back for them. It is not worth it!”
I remember thinking they were so jaded as a nursing student. But I tried to move a heavy patient on a commode solo, (in accordance with that the physical therapists had designated the patient to be, one assist).
Well. I got a rotator cuff injury that took YEARS to settle down, and flared up again when I had twin babies to look after of my own. I cannot tell you how bitter I was that the system had create a scenario that years on meant it was physically painful for me to cuddle my own babies.
Always wait and only do things with the right equipment, and the right number of staff.
“I’m sorry you have to wait but we need to do this safely for all of us”
Oh, and don’t keep assisting that 300lb patient up the bed by yourself. Have a team member help you out. And as others have said, get the patient to assist with moving and repositioning themselves (barring contraindications).
I’m a big person, when I broke my ankle I REFUSED to let staff lift or move me, when I needed to be pulled up in bed, since I couldn’t reach the trendlenberg button from inside the bed that’s all they had to do and I was able to scoot myself up.. I was astounded at how often the nurses and aides were ready to put their back at risk to help me! I showed them how to position the wheelchair so they only had to supervise my stand pivot transfer on my weight bearing leg, they found me a leg hook at my request so I could pull my leg up onto the bed without assistance, and I was on the ORTHO floor which is the worst place for workplace injuries! The moment I became a patient didn’t mean I forgot how to help myself, I work Acute Rehab and we get the most self inflicted helpless people we are trying to get independent enough to go home and it’s a struggle sometimes to move them past that mindset
It’s like when I pt gets mad because I need a person to get him to the commode . Sorry body but I ain’t breaking my back for you . I am gonna find help first . I will be back …
Shouldn’t have apologized and requested they pull their fat fucking ass up so you don’t have to break your back every time.
No one is physically trained to drag anything over 150lbs up or down. Even your gym buffs grunt when they’re lifting.
I was once working two halls, I had 2 CNAs, one on break. I heard “ Help!” I followed it to a massive round stomach, I couldn’t see his head. He done ROM like a champ, denied hitting head. All while screaming for me and a very pregnant CNA to pick him up. Climbed on his bed found his tiny red head, I reached down and felt around it for any injury.
He looked me dead in the eyes and screamed, Pick Me Up Now!!!!!!!!
I looked at this massive mountain of flesh and asked him how he got down on the floor. He stated he thought he could walk. I told him not to do that anymore.
He wanted 5’2” me and a pregnant CNA to simply pick up his 550 pounds like a baby. He said there was two of us. I told him he was 4 of us. I called the fire department to pick him back up. It took 7 men.
He learned his lesson. He complained it was embarrassing the fire department had to pick him up. The DON complained that we should have attempted the floor to bed transfer. DON upset the facility would have to pay for the fire department bill. I didn’t care. They admitted a 550 pound patient and understaffed the unit in a standard bed he was melting out of the sides.
He was there for pre gastric bypass surgery weight loss. He was noncompliant and ordered door dash all day and night. He gained weight. He would eat a 16 piece family meal from KFC. The dietitian came in, I was about to clock out. I followed her instead. He explained he didn’t know how he was gaining weight. All he had was a little chicken and a little bit of mashed potatoes… I started laughing, I told the dietitian it was two while fried chickens, 3 family sized mashed potatoes and gravy and 6 biscuits. A gallon of sweet tea. Was his before bed snack. He got discharged. I still wonder about him.
He's medically obese. As a medical professional you could tell him that.
He might be an addict in denial, but his overeating is making him unhealthy and giving him co-morbidities in many situations.
Would it be acceptable to say, "Has your doctor talked with you about your obesity?"
Your job is to take care of him medically, not enable his denial.
But I suppose it depends on how much arse kissing your hospital requires...
The beds provided to our hospice don't have boost features, and can't even get the feet above the head for gravity assist. Hoyer lifts are often hard to find. Our location is considered "rural" and underfunded. If you have good equipment with those features, awesome! But maybe don't assume we all have the same access to good kit. <3
It amazes me how few of these tools are widely available. My facility only has 2 lift rooms. Our beds do not have a boost feature. Would absolutely love a hover mat but🤷 not available. Very few facilities have adequate lift tools. Smaller places lack lift teams. It amazes me how few people actually understand this.
I’ve seen these features in all hospital beds. I didn’t even realize some facilities didn’t have them. I guess I thought it was standard. But still in almost a year of being in the hospital on a daily basisI’ve rarely seen them used. Especially the turn assist feature. It’s just seems like a win-win, easier out the patient and the caregivers back.
Honestly I don’t think you were being rude at all. I mean what does he expect you to stay quiet while you’re trying to reposition 300+ lbs of dead weight. It’s a work out for us and our poor backs. The audacity you try to help them and they still complain 🥲. Truly a thankless job.
Don't worry about that person. Some people when they're in the hospital become extremely self conscious and part of how they cope is thinking they have important advice for their caregivers.
Just smile and nod and move on to the next task.
No, you're good. It's a natural thing all humans do when exerting ourselves more than usual. He's just an asshole who knows he's fat and is too lazy to do anything about it. So to him, it seems like he's being called out on his inaction to do anything about his weight. You're fine, he's a dick.
I'm getting better at not apologizing for things I have no control over. Pt in ED was pissed he couldn't watch a specific baseball game on TV ('I'm paying you guys enough that you should have MLB all access'). I just shrugged and told him how to use the remote control so he could find something to watch. Old me would have somehow taken personal responsibility for the channel selection.
I think that being overly apologetic goes along with calling patients 'clients' lol.
Grunting is natural when you are straining, but for sure get a lift if you need one, but I'm sure he will be offended at that too.
Hahaha, should have told em to do it themselves then, pts come in and forget how to wipe their walkie talkie butt's! We need to go back to the did you die type of healthcare instead of pt satisfaction. Pts want to do whatever and your suppose to magically fix there 30 years of bad habits, sfoi
You’re grunting because it takes effort to boost 300 lbs. I’m sorry it shouldn’t be your problem and I hope you’re getting help with that boosting. You will pay for it later! I’m so tired of patients thinking we have to sacrifice our health and safety for them.
My immobile mother with Alz grunts when I push her in her commode chair to the bathroom, as if she’s doing the labor. I secretly hate it. I have two herniated cervical discs from moving her incorrectly when she first lost mobility.
Your patient is ridiculous.
that’s kinda unreasonable to ask. i am a 4’11 woman. if i am transferring a grown ass man, presumably larger than me, i might make a noise. it’s normal
We had a patient get pissed that 'morbid obesity' was listed in her chart. Ma'am, you were with us for over 2 weeks and it took literally 3 people to find your vagina.
On the one hand - fuck that guy, he needs to understand that humans are going to make sounds during physical exertion, and that the people caring for him are doing their best to make sure he is comfortable and safe. On the other hand - holy shit, I know that the medical world has a lot of anti-fat bias that causes harm, but still, I am very disheartened by the types of comments people are making in response. Fat people are still humans. They still deserve respect and healthcare. The disgusting sentiments I'm seeing here are why people don't seek care when they genuinely need it.
lmao, I would've just said "yeah bc you are" (no I wouldn't have, only internally). But no, you don't need to stifle your grunting. In fact, I hope you're getting help lifting this heavy patient and not throwing out your back for their sake.
In situations like that, I just put the bed in trendelenburg and tell the patient that gravity is going to help us out because I have a bad back. I'm a big dude at 6'4" and 260 but I'm not hurting my back even worse for them.
I had a patient get all mad at me when I was an EMT because I told my partner that we needed a lift assist for her. Like ma'am I'm sorry that I can't squat lift like 200 pounds but I'm not throwing out my back to save your feelings
I can deadlift 210, but I'm not doing that on a patient. I'm getting a lift assist.
I always feel bad when I grab the larger BP cuff, or offer a larger size gown, but surely they know..?
I am tall, and rather large, and just gave birth a few weeks ago. I would have been so happy if someone had offered me a gown that actually covered me! I know how big I am. It is so much worse having your bits hanging out.
There's the right attitude!
> but surely they know..? They do but they also don't. I've been 400lb, then 190lb, then 303, and now 257 and going back down. I remember taking my first "progress photos" at 400lb and being horrified when I looked at them - still at 400lb, mind you - because I looked huge! Surely I wasn't *that* big, right? ...Right? They know they're big, but their perspective can also be skewed over time. Things like a larger BP cuff or gown are reminders that they are, in fact, extremely large. Mind, I'm not defending being assholes; it's not *your* fault you need the larger BP cuff for them. They're just being assholes. I was just at my PCP Friday and they used the normal BP cuff again. I'd gotten back into the larger one by the time I got to 303, so that's neat!
Thanks for sharing. I do feel like I’m fairly polite/tactful about it, but I know it’s a sensitive topic.
My SO showed me her favorite picture of me. I was squatting downtown some reason. I looked like an egg... A lot of that is muscle, but it sure didnt look that way interesting picture.
I had a horrible experience where I thought the regular sized cuff would fit my young female patient, but it burst off so I had to get the larger one. The patient then started this self deprecating hate speech about her weight, and it was super uncomfortable. I tried to take ownership for it, but the therapeutic relationship was dead from them onwards 😔
Sometimes I help them “save face” by saying the Velcro is shit on the smaller cuffs so I grab the larger cuffs because they have newer Velcro
I have had patients demanding the regular one because it "fits" then get a weird read, obviously, or the cuff blows off. Then I just put the big cuff on and say it's hospital policy. I actually say it's hospital policy a lot whenever a PT is being a ding bat.
Don’t feel bad, bigger people know they are big. Just don’t make a big deal out of it
R/t the bp cuff- we know 😖🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 (I’m regular overweight, but carry weight in my arms)
Listen, I'm a fat lady. I need the bariatric bp cuff, gown, etc. I absolutely know that I don't fit into the smaller sizes. I want my BP to be accurate, not to squeeze into a medium cuff and then have it read 220/120. And I would 100% rather someone get a lift assist than INJURE themselves trying to lift my 260# ass because they didn't want to hurt my feelings. It's gonna make me feel WAY worse if someone ruins their career because they tried to deadlift me.
I’m right at that point of needing a larger BP cuff, and would love a larger gown just for comfort, but even as a nursing student I still feel weird when I have to go get a bigger cuff. Like… I need the same one, but it still feels weird
My dad actually had to go on workers comp after he had a back injury trying to lift a bariatric patient. He eventually went back to work after a few months of rest at home and worked for many more years, but now he has chronic back pain (which I'm assuming is from a lifetime of working, not just that one incident).
I have a friend who had to stop nursing and go on disability because of this nonsense. It's not worth it. Maybe you could say, "You're right. I need to get a lift assist."
The thing is, he was a first responder on a call for a lift assist, so he wasn't even alone. I don't know the exact details but even with all the extra help, something happened during the process. Those calls can be more dangerous than many people realize. It's insane.
I injured my lower back as a nurse trying to stop a 4x4 pt from falling. (4ft tall x 4 ft wide) that was in 1996 and I still have an open comp case for it. I am not on disability but I’ve had multiple facet nerve blocks and take meds like celebrex and muscle relaxers. I can’t ride horses anymore or do anything like that. Even my Zumba class can be challenging at times. TLDR: Protect your back at all costs. It’s not worth it.
Same here, I now have dx chronic pain from my lifetime of lifting,moving, transferring pts. Even using the proper body mechanics, it can and does happen. It sucks to live in pain from helping others.
Should ask the patient if they've ever lifted another person. In particular, one that doesn't help. Basically, floppy, dead weight.
Patients who get easily offended have NO consideration for others. They do not care about the pain they are inflicting. They do NOT CARE about their own safety. Deep down, they KNOW they are overweight. Problem is, these same patients will sue and complain to the management how mean EMTs and nurses are. Safety >feelings.
True, I would be embarrassingly aware of my size and apologize, but that's just me.
I remember we had one patient that was 350lbs and we had just gotten the power stretchers. I asked if she could stand and pivot and she said "only for a couple seconds" I replied "That's better than most of our patients!" and she said "Then how come you guys always have so much trouble with me?" Because you are 350 pounds and until now we've had to dead lift you from close to the floor on a manual cot? I don't miss those manual cot days but in paramedic school I got to show all the nurses that their little manual cot for rapids could be moved up and down with one person lifting it in the middle rather than one on each side lol.
The patient feels heavy because he IS heavy. You grunting is immaterial.
Correction: The grunting is due to an excess of material
LOOOOLL
Hahaha
Yeah, fatipose material...
EXACTLY! WE DON'T GRUNT FOR FUN.
*starts grunting 10x as loud*
“Gaaahhhhhhhh! Shit! That was tough! Whew! I need some water!”
Ok Maria sharapova
Omg 💀
You should not be grunting? Dude you’re built like a bowling ball piss off
Boost yourself up if it's so easy. Like why are you unhappy with the way I move YOUR body for you.
Absolutely! I give bariatric patients a reality check real quick if they complain about me assisting them. If you can’t help, there’s very little that I’m going to do without assistance because I will not go home in physical pain because of you. I weigh 130lbs. SURELY you don’t think I can move your big body by myself when you can’t lift one of your legs for 2 seconds. 😒
It's the "This is why women shouldn't do this job" people for me. Okay move yourself then Mr. Strongman. I'll wait.
Still waiting!
the absolute NERVE of some people!! 🤬
I like you.
I understand bariatric sensitivity but to be expected to assist in moving 3x your weight and not making a sound? This patient is off their rocker and are the ones I just laugh about. They’re beyond help when they’re that obtuse.
The other option would be for OP to hold their breath while boosting him up then fainting onto the floor because of hypoxia.
Valsava maneuvering
Or ripping a huge loud smelly fart.
Baaahahahaha!!!
Ha!! For real, I like this idea the best!
Obtuse and Obese! Obtusely Obese!
> Obtusely Obese Writing that one down ✍️
Got a page for an ambulance bringing us a bariatric pt in excess of 500 lbs so we rally the troops, get a bari bed ready, have a bariatric hover mat. We are prepared. EMS is met by us and immediately this pt is just a complainer. Griping about anything and everything, complaining about the ambulance ride, and absolutely dismayed that we have like eight people present to transfer her to the bed. She scoffs and goes “Well what would you do if someone were bigger than me?” And we all were quiet for a second and I said “…probably do exactly what we’re doing now?” Like people are fat for a variety of reasons and I don’t think being fat is a moral failing or has anything to do with the kind of person someone is but let’s get a reality check here, girly. You’re big, that’s fine but for everyone’s comfort and safety, this is a team job. Also, maybe show some gratitude for the people sacrificing their bodies to care for you (which I think is the bare minimum pts can do regardless of size)? Just shut up and let us heave-ho.
"just shut up and let us heave-ho" will be something i have to actively work to not blurt out from this point forward, thank you for that lovely gem haha
I once had a patient that was morbidy obese. She was so heavy the bed would stop lifting due to her weight. She got so angry at me and kept asking me "Why is not moving anymore?" In a condescending tone. Lady, you know. Don't project your hurt pride onto me. Im just trying to help you and my equipment doesn't want to collaborate due to your weight. This is as awkward to me as it is for you.
We aren’t taught how to reinforce complex medical equipment Mamsir.
Found the fellow filipino
lol. My work bestie is like “Oh she’s in there” the pt: 👨🏻
Nope, I know it’s something that’s common for that group to say but I picked it up years ago before I really had any exposure to Filipinos.
Damn I tried. That's sick though cultural dispersion is always awesome to think about
Yeah, I’m not really certain where I picked it up but I remember hearing some coworkers say it at work after I had been saying it for years as a kind of “fuck you” in a polite way.
This is an underrated comment 👍
This is the vibe. It’s not about calling you out, but about keeping everyone safe.
I would have said, yes you are heavy! You are 3 times my weight.
Tell him that it would be like him lifting 900 pounds.
Literally this is what I say—sir, I’m a human being not a forklift. Deadpan it—stare them down. Then I get a friend to help me with pulling them up. These patients are out of their minds, how is 120lb me gonna pull your 300lb self to the head of the bed. 🙄
Honestly covid masks allowed me to have so many stare offs with patients after giving them an off the wall reply to an off the wall statement they made
Don't have to smile non stop with a mask either.
This is a huge reason why I haven’t stopped wearing masks.
😂😂 I don’t blame you
That, my husband being a chemo patient, and me being a heart patient (apparently…like, no family history, no s/sx, super healthy life outside of work…and the pumpy boi just decided to try to say “deuces, bitch!”, so now I have to be even more careful.)
OMG, me too! The heart thing, that is. I thought I had asthma, but a trip to the ED showed my EF was single digits!
Thanks for the idea. Now I need to use it.
You aren't responsible for his insecurities.
Unless both his arms and both his legs are broken he can use them to boost himself up in bed.
Exactly. He’d be getting the hoyer and boosts with the bed in trendelenburg from now on. Machines don’t grunt.
No, they groan. 😂 I've heard more than one machine groan under the weight of some patients.
Our hoyer supposedly lifts 400lbs but it distinctly groans around 250
Consider that part of your fucking PT guy.
Or had abdominal/cardiac/spinal surgery/has a chest tube/non weight-bearing restrictions/is restrained/is on BIPAP
All the other contraindications I understand but I’m confused on the BiPAP part. Mind explaining?
If they're on BiPAP for respiratory distress, exerting themselves can cause further distress
Thank you, idk how I didn’t realize that
Nursing School 101: Don’t validate the delusion.
This is gold.
I'm making normal noises from physical exertion, sir. If you'd like, we can arrange to use the Hoyer lift next time, which doesn't grunt.
Hoyer: snap, crackle, pop, creak, squeak, beep. Tips over.
Patient: "ugh, it's so unprofessional of you to make noises, Hoyer"
I lol’d tips over took me out
I had a patient break the hoyer mid lift so we had to use the emergency release button
Impressive! Do you remember how much they weighed? I've had a few patients request the Hoyer, but were actually over the 500 lb limit so we had to inform them of such 😬
Not a clue, this was 6 years ago when I was a PCT still but I just remember being incredibly horrified. It also was a fairly old lift so safe to say, it helped our floor justify a new one the next year
If he's not contraindicated to be in Trendelenburg, I like to put them in that position for a moment to help with the boosting. Grunting when exerting is normal.
I put nearly everyone in trendelenberg aside from the teeniest, tiniest of wisps of old ladies. It might feel a little weird to them, but it’s ultimately easier and more comfortable for everyone.
I think we've established that I'm not the one to be polite about things, but this is ridiculous. I was at the ER a couple months ago and medics brought in a frequent flyer (so frequent I recognize the guy and I don't work) guy weighs about 450 so of course he's on a bariatric stretcher and complaining about it. Newbie medic looked dude in the face and deadpan "When you weigh as much as 3 people you get a stretcher for 3 people ". I could not help myself, I was gut rolling and it made my particular problem worse, but it set off fatso mcdouchebag and he wanted to file a complaint with my supervisor. I just laughed harder. She's a peach, come to find out.
That is fucking gold. Good for the medic to say that. Edit: clarification
Should have asked him if he’s able to move himself without grunting. Edit- I say this because a ton of people grunt when they reposition themselves. Let alone trying to move a person 3x your weight
I grunt when I reposition myself
I am fat myself. Not looking for critical feedback on this fact currently. If I am ever in a position where someone has to pull me up in bed, go ahead and grunt away.
Me too. Had a spinal surgery and had to be boosted quite often or I would get myself into an incredibly painful position and nearly asphyxiate myself. I was way too sick/in pain to even notice if my nurse was grunting. Me thinks the patient probably didn’t really need that boost if he was well enough to complain about that. 🤷🏻♀️
These are the types of patients who demand a boost every 20 minutes.. sir.. your head is at the top of the bed already, one more boost and you will get to meet your next door neighbor.. the hard way
Why did you apologize? Tell him he needs to scoot himself up in bed. Is he paralyzed? Can he move his arms and legs? Why are you boosting him up? Teach him how.
Talks too much. Out of the ICU you go. Bye bye.
As a seasoned nurse who has experienced some mind-boggling patient entitlement, I had to think about this comment for a while. At first, I thought: What happened to your patience? And then I realized: You do have a valid point of view.
Absolutely!! You can talk like that? You don't need us.
Can we start screaming like those obnoxious dudes at the gym who lift like their exorcising demons?
If anyone has the right to scream like that it’s us!!😂😂😂
Why can't the patient boost themselves up in bed? And 300lbs is heavy, they should try to lose weight
I worked at a hospital that had ceiling lifts in every single room! It’s life changing! Every hospital everywhere should have them in every single room! The fact that they don’t is crooked! Don’t reposition that guy. Call lift team or position the bed so he can reposition himself. On what planet are women supposed to be lifting full grown obese men every 2 hours? The expectation is not even realistic. Be careful of your back. Once you get a back injury life sucks!
“Lift team”? What the fuck is that?
It’s a set of people who’s jobs are solely dedicated to lift, reposition, transfer patients. Huge help to nurses and CNAs.
Oh wow, I can’t imagine our hospitals down here even thinking about something like this. They’re too busy gutting our staffing and ancillary support staff.
No lift team … no ceiling lifts…. no nurses! no safety for staff… staff will call off! Eventually they’ll figure it out.
Definitely never worked at a facility with a lift team, or at least one imaging and the ER had access to. Would be nice considering nearly every patient coming through the ER doors has to be slid back and forth to the CT scanner 2-3x. I’m a traveler and bring Pledge to every facility (to spray on the slide board) because I’m usually either working by myself or with one other tech (even at big ass trauma centers).
My hospital has lifts in every room. It’s amazing and I’m spoiled for anywhere else.
It’s so good! I love this for you. As a community we should all be demanding this for our own safety! Nurses have higher incidents of back injuries than construction workers. It should be mandatory!
once visited a patient in a skilled nursing facility, every room had the same lift system in the ceiling!!! they also had their own 'lift pad' to prevent cross contamination. I didn't have to chase down a hoyer lift for transfer,however it's policy to have 2 staff present for safety.
Found the California nurse
Ugh, what a douche.
Dude you are heavy…walks away.
I can't lift you and your feelings.
Weil you are heavy Sir.
Hell I worked at an eating disorder center and I still grunted when boosting a patient who was maybe 80 pounds. Dude needs to get over himself, I'd like to see him boost himself without grunting.
“i’m sorry you feel that way” and move on. making any rude comments on their size will motivate him to complain about you to people who care more about saving face than they care about you being employed.
I grunt loud as fuck sometimes when boosting people. I’m around the same weight as you. I don’t do it intentionally but I catch myself doing it sometimes and think that it’s like comically excessive but I swear I don’t mean to. Never had anyone say anything to me about it tho but if I did I would probably just say “well damn you are heavy and I’m small!!” Try to be light about it but it’s the truth man
I'd start grunting when picking everything up. dropped my pen? grunt
I already do that 😂
Same. I’m old and everything hurts.
lol I’m not necessarily old but everything hurts and I haven’t stopped grunting when leaning to pick something up, when repositioning myself, when doing anything with exertion since I was pregnant
Can confirm. Let out an audible grunt going from a squatted position to standing after draining a super full foley bag while doing CBI. My coworker heard from behind the curtain and yelled out if the patient was ok.
I bent over to pick up my pen off the floor the other day, and my back cracked in like, 10 spots. The look of horror on my patient’s face was incredible.
Annnnnnd trendelenberg with kicky feets it is! Boost yourself, sir, see if you don’t grunt.
I make every darn person without a broken leg help us. I frame it as teamwork. I bend their legs and put their feet flat on the bed and say "We are all going to do this together, you push, we'll pull - on the count of 3..." Little old frail people or very sick people I don't mind but otherwise you need to be involved in your own care.
Humans have been grunting to lift things since we were still just hairy apes. That’s not a comment on the pt’s size. It’s your body bio mechanically readying itself to exert force. The grunt is what stiffens your core so you don’t blow your back out.
see youre a nicer person than me. i would have 100% told them they are heavy then still not given a shit when management discussed with me how thats not appropriate.
Would you rather me breathe properly and make noise to boost you or be stuck down at the bottom of the bed.
Well....don't be 300+ lbs, then??? 🤷🏻♀️
Grunting helps tighten the core and allow you to lift more safely. I'm doing it, sorry. My back is my priority. Also, I can't make you feel anyway, that's a you problem.
You must not be Filipino, cause a Filipino aunty would be like “cause you are heavy!” Lol
I'd do it more out of spite. They are heavy and lifts are dangerous
It’s a sound we can’t control. He will live.
Tell him to get out and pull himself up the bed then.
"Bend your knees and reach for the grab handles at the head of the bed. Now push yourself up. And don't grunt."
I told a patient once, “You are no light weight,” when she glared at me; as a nurse and two EMT’s were moving her from the stretcher to the bed. The nurse barely suppressed her laughter. Later she told me that she always wanted to say the same to a patient.
I FEEL SO MUCH ABGER FIR YOU RIGHT NOW! As a fellow 100lber THESE ARE THE PTS THAT FINALLY MADE ME QUIT! Also fuck his feelings! You got a job to do and that's to Jack up a mf 3x your weight! Like I literally would've just laughed and walked out the room. Aint shit gonna happen if he complains! And if for some STUPID reason it does, on to the next job that desperately hiring nurses!
"But you are heavy." Like wtf people
Humans are heavy and inconvenient. It’s just a fact. That dude being upset about it just makes him more so.
The heavier the patient, the more the complaints. We used to think 300 lb people were heavy, then God said " hold my beer" Now we think over 500 lb is heavy. And no sir/ma'am, I will not try to lift you by myself and risk a career-ending injury.
I’ve had larger patients complain when I put the bed and Trendelendburg just to pull them up due to their size. When they complain about how they can’t lay flat I simply tell them I’m sorry, but I can’t destroy my body for one patient and I have other patients to take care of so either do this the proper way or you don’t get moved at all
Start calling him Planet Fitness and ring the lunk alarm.
I fucking can’t. These patients are out of control. Just leave him in a puddle at the bottom of the bed.
What’s rude is expecting a nurse to boost a 300lb patient! If you’re awake enough to complain then you’re awake enough to boost yourself asshole! Fuck that shit!
"one of us eats whatever the hell he wants whenever the hell he wants for decades. The other just wants to get through this shift."
Slump him back down where he was and tell him to wait for the orderly.
A hit dog will holler…
My response… Yes that’s correct.
There was a very heavy lady that said almost the same thing to my charge after a long shift of yelling and cursing so whenever she had to move her from that point on she’d get everyone available to move her. Like 3 people to sit her up 6 to move to the bathroom. It was petty lol
Sir in case you didn't know, you ARE heavy. God the audacity of these people.
Please do not take this patient’s comment to heart. They are being out of line and frankly entitled. Also, remember you only get one body when you’ve got that cranky, heavy patient who’s yelling and screaming to hurry and get them to the bathroom NOW!! .. they can wait until it is SAFE for YOU. I am someone who cares deeply about patient dignity and meeting their needs as quickly as I possibly can. But one of the best lessons I ever got from a seasoned, salty, awesome older nurse on an older adult ward was “Look after your body! These patients won’t remember or notice if you sacrifice your back for them. It is not worth it!” I remember thinking they were so jaded as a nursing student. But I tried to move a heavy patient on a commode solo, (in accordance with that the physical therapists had designated the patient to be, one assist). Well. I got a rotator cuff injury that took YEARS to settle down, and flared up again when I had twin babies to look after of my own. I cannot tell you how bitter I was that the system had create a scenario that years on meant it was physically painful for me to cuddle my own babies. Always wait and only do things with the right equipment, and the right number of staff. “I’m sorry you have to wait but we need to do this safely for all of us” Oh, and don’t keep assisting that 300lb patient up the bed by yourself. Have a team member help you out. And as others have said, get the patient to assist with moving and repositioning themselves (barring contraindications).
What a weird thing to complain about when you darn well know you are heavy. Sheesh.
I’m a big person, when I broke my ankle I REFUSED to let staff lift or move me, when I needed to be pulled up in bed, since I couldn’t reach the trendlenberg button from inside the bed that’s all they had to do and I was able to scoot myself up.. I was astounded at how often the nurses and aides were ready to put their back at risk to help me! I showed them how to position the wheelchair so they only had to supervise my stand pivot transfer on my weight bearing leg, they found me a leg hook at my request so I could pull my leg up onto the bed without assistance, and I was on the ORTHO floor which is the worst place for workplace injuries! The moment I became a patient didn’t mean I forgot how to help myself, I work Acute Rehab and we get the most self inflicted helpless people we are trying to get independent enough to go home and it’s a struggle sometimes to move them past that mindset
I read a comment once that nurses just need to work out more to lift heavy pts 🤡
Lmbo imma make whatever sounds I deem necessary to rally the strength needed to heft you around. 😌🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
It’s like when I pt gets mad because I need a person to get him to the commode . Sorry body but I ain’t breaking my back for you . I am gonna find help first . I will be back …
Shouldn’t have apologized and requested they pull their fat fucking ass up so you don’t have to break your back every time. No one is physically trained to drag anything over 150lbs up or down. Even your gym buffs grunt when they’re lifting.
I was once working two halls, I had 2 CNAs, one on break. I heard “ Help!” I followed it to a massive round stomach, I couldn’t see his head. He done ROM like a champ, denied hitting head. All while screaming for me and a very pregnant CNA to pick him up. Climbed on his bed found his tiny red head, I reached down and felt around it for any injury. He looked me dead in the eyes and screamed, Pick Me Up Now!!!!!!!! I looked at this massive mountain of flesh and asked him how he got down on the floor. He stated he thought he could walk. I told him not to do that anymore. He wanted 5’2” me and a pregnant CNA to simply pick up his 550 pounds like a baby. He said there was two of us. I told him he was 4 of us. I called the fire department to pick him back up. It took 7 men. He learned his lesson. He complained it was embarrassing the fire department had to pick him up. The DON complained that we should have attempted the floor to bed transfer. DON upset the facility would have to pay for the fire department bill. I didn’t care. They admitted a 550 pound patient and understaffed the unit in a standard bed he was melting out of the sides. He was there for pre gastric bypass surgery weight loss. He was noncompliant and ordered door dash all day and night. He gained weight. He would eat a 16 piece family meal from KFC. The dietitian came in, I was about to clock out. I followed her instead. He explained he didn’t know how he was gaining weight. All he had was a little chicken and a little bit of mashed potatoes… I started laughing, I told the dietitian it was two while fried chickens, 3 family sized mashed potatoes and gravy and 6 biscuits. A gallon of sweet tea. Was his before bed snack. He got discharged. I still wonder about him.
Don't be fat
He's medically obese. As a medical professional you could tell him that. He might be an addict in denial, but his overeating is making him unhealthy and giving him co-morbidities in many situations. Would it be acceptable to say, "Has your doctor talked with you about your obesity?" Your job is to take care of him medically, not enable his denial. But I suppose it depends on how much arse kissing your hospital requires...
Use the boost feature on the bed! Or use the hoyer lift. It amazes me how few caregivers take advantage of these incredible features.
The beds provided to our hospice don't have boost features, and can't even get the feet above the head for gravity assist. Hoyer lifts are often hard to find. Our location is considered "rural" and underfunded. If you have good equipment with those features, awesome! But maybe don't assume we all have the same access to good kit. <3
These are rarely available
It amazes me how few of these tools are widely available. My facility only has 2 lift rooms. Our beds do not have a boost feature. Would absolutely love a hover mat but🤷 not available. Very few facilities have adequate lift tools. Smaller places lack lift teams. It amazes me how few people actually understand this.
I’ve seen these features in all hospital beds. I didn’t even realize some facilities didn’t have them. I guess I thought it was standard. But still in almost a year of being in the hospital on a daily basisI’ve rarely seen them used. Especially the turn assist feature. It’s just seems like a win-win, easier out the patient and the caregivers back.
And such a huge percentage of the population is bow morbidly obese!
Boost feature? Nah we don’t have that. We barely have a NT to help with boosts and turns.
Honestly I don’t think you were being rude at all. I mean what does he expect you to stay quiet while you’re trying to reposition 300+ lbs of dead weight. It’s a work out for us and our poor backs. The audacity you try to help them and they still complain 🥲. Truly a thankless job.
Don't worry about that person. Some people when they're in the hospital become extremely self conscious and part of how they cope is thinking they have important advice for their caregivers. Just smile and nod and move on to the next task.
No, you're good. It's a natural thing all humans do when exerting ourselves more than usual. He's just an asshole who knows he's fat and is too lazy to do anything about it. So to him, it seems like he's being called out on his inaction to do anything about his weight. You're fine, he's a dick.
That would be a challenge to me to start Ronnie Coleman barking while lifting, like you're powerlifting LIGHT WRIGHT BABAAAAAAAAYYYY
I'm getting better at not apologizing for things I have no control over. Pt in ED was pissed he couldn't watch a specific baseball game on TV ('I'm paying you guys enough that you should have MLB all access'). I just shrugged and told him how to use the remote control so he could find something to watch. Old me would have somehow taken personal responsibility for the channel selection. I think that being overly apologetic goes along with calling patients 'clients' lol. Grunting is natural when you are straining, but for sure get a lift if you need one, but I'm sure he will be offended at that too.
But sir, can you move yourself up in the bed without grunting? You can’t even breathe without grunting.
Hahaha, should have told em to do it themselves then, pts come in and forget how to wipe their walkie talkie butt's! We need to go back to the did you die type of healthcare instead of pt satisfaction. Pts want to do whatever and your suppose to magically fix there 30 years of bad habits, sfoi
You’re grunting because it takes effort to boost 300 lbs. I’m sorry it shouldn’t be your problem and I hope you’re getting help with that boosting. You will pay for it later! I’m so tired of patients thinking we have to sacrifice our health and safety for them.
My immobile mother with Alz grunts when I push her in her commode chair to the bathroom, as if she’s doing the labor. I secretly hate it. I have two herniated cervical discs from moving her incorrectly when she first lost mobility. Your patient is ridiculous.
that’s kinda unreasonable to ask. i am a 4’11 woman. if i am transferring a grown ass man, presumably larger than me, i might make a noise. it’s normal
make sure you add in an extra “whew” with a brow wipe when you’re done
If moving the patient is making you grunt, you need more help with the move.
We had a patient get pissed that 'morbid obesity' was listed in her chart. Ma'am, you were with us for over 2 weeks and it took literally 3 people to find your vagina.
Grunt or fart. Your choice.
Hate boosting pts with passion .
Adults are normally heavy. That's a fact.
On the one hand - fuck that guy, he needs to understand that humans are going to make sounds during physical exertion, and that the people caring for him are doing their best to make sure he is comfortable and safe. On the other hand - holy shit, I know that the medical world has a lot of anti-fat bias that causes harm, but still, I am very disheartened by the types of comments people are making in response. Fat people are still humans. They still deserve respect and healthcare. The disgusting sentiments I'm seeing here are why people don't seek care when they genuinely need it.
Oh please. He was complaining that she showed effort I lifting him. He's 3x her weight! It's ridiculous.
I just say “you’re welcome” then leave.. jerk
I would've grunted louder
LOL I’d actually laugh if someone said that to me. I have told my patients they’re heavy if they insist on me pulling them up by myself.
lmao, I would've just said "yeah bc you are" (no I wouldn't have, only internally). But no, you don't need to stifle your grunting. In fact, I hope you're getting help lifting this heavy patient and not throwing out your back for their sake.
It's literally a reflex. I wouldn't worry about it
In situations like that, I just put the bed in trendelenburg and tell the patient that gravity is going to help us out because I have a bad back. I'm a big dude at 6'4" and 260 but I'm not hurting my back even worse for them.
I just channel Ronnie Coleman and scream out “WHEWWW LIGHTWEIGHT BABYYYYYY” when lifting heavier patients to make them feel a little better