AST Guideline for Patient Transportation

4 Guideline II It is the responsibility of the CST to safely transport a patient to the Preoperative Holding or OR. 1. To preserve the safety of the patient and CST, the following safety measures should be implemented during the transport of the patient. The CST should explain all actions to the conscious patient just prior to and while performing the action, e.g., placing safety strap, elevating side rails and to keep fingers out of the way, raising head of bed at patient’s request, going headfirst into an elevator. A. The side rails of a stretcher must be elevated. 1) Prior to raising the side rails the CST must verbally communicate to the patient to place his/her arms on their abdomen, if possible, to prevent injury. The CST must confirm the arms are out of the way. 2) If the patient is not able to move their arms, the CST should raise each rail separately while gently moving the arm out of harm’s way while raising the rail. B. The stretcher safety strap must be applied. It should not be placed over the abdomen to prevent interference with respirations. The CST should be able to slide two fingers under the strap to confirm it is not too tight. C. The CST should visually confirm IV lines, indwelling catheters, monitoring system lines and drains, and any other lines are secure and patent. The IV pole(s) should be positioned so the bag(s) is/are hanging to the side and not above the patient’s head. The indwelling catheter urinary bag or any other collecting bags must be positioned below the level of the patient and not dragging on the floor. 3 D. The CST should visually confirm the head, arms and legs are protected and adequately padded, and verbally confirm with the patient that he/she is as comfortable as possible. 1) While transporting the patient, the CST should verbally remind the patient to keep his/her hands and arms inside the safety rails to prevent injury. 2) The CST must always maintain the dignity of the patient by keeping him/her covered with blankets and/or sheets. E. The patient should be transported feet first; rapid movements, particularly when going around a corner should be avoided. 2 Rapid movements, especially if the patient has received preoperative medications, can cause the patient to become disoriented, dizzy, and nauseated, and induce vomiting. 7 F. The CST should be positioned at the patient’s head when pushing the stretcher so he/she can look ahead to identify potential hazards. This also allows immediate access to the patient’s airway in the case of respiratory distress or vomiting. If two CSTs are available for transporting the patient, the second person should be positioned at the foot of the stretcher. It is the responsibility of the CST at the head of the bed to communicate any upcoming potential hazards to the CST at the foot of the stretcher.