Body Mechanic Work Sheet
Answer all the Questions Below
Using proper body mechanics to prevent a back injury requires the following:
 Awareness of the weight of what is to be lifted
 Having a plan for the lift
 Remembering to bend at the hips and knees when lifting
 Keeping your feet spread apart
 Holding what is to be lifted close
 Avoiding twisting while lifting
 Tightening or flexing stomach muscles; and
 Lifting with your legs
Using improper body mechanics may result in the following:
 Increased and even excessive pressure on your spine, which can lead to the degeneration of discs, back
pain, and serious spinal problems
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Proper body mechanics, on the other hand, are beneficial for several reasons, including:

Preserving back and spine strength and flexibility.

Preventing pain, stiffness and more serious back and spinal problems.

Helping to speed up recovery.
Below are questions in relation to proper body mechanics and patient safety. Make sure to answer each
question in detail providing a paragraph for the answer for each question asked.
1. A client who is partially immobile following surgery for abdominal hernia is provided home care. The home
care nurse observes that the client has developed bed sores. The client also complains that he is depressed and
tired of being confined to bed and requests permission to ambulate. But the physician’s order states that the
client should not be allowed out of bed for another week.
a. Should the nurse allow the client to ambulate? As the nurse you can always reassure to the patient that
the will be back walking in no time but as for now you have no choice but to follow the orders from the
doctor. You can help the patient come up with things he could do in bed instead of focusing on trying to
get up. As a nurse I would not give the patient permission to ambulate a few turns to get off the bed sore,
but I would not allow him to ambulate.
b. How should the nurse assist the patient, if he is allowed out of bed? When the patient is allowed out of
bed the nurse should assist him in his everyday walking needs as well as observe his actions. The nurse
should also assure him that he should take breaks as needed and not to walk to far. They should ask him
his pain tolerance to make sure his healing processes is progressing.
c. How should the nurse prevent further skin breakdown in the client? As a nurse I would make for sure
the client stayed off that area until it heals. Reposition him every 2 hours or as needed make sure he’s in a
comfortable position so prevent him from trying to get back to where the bed sore is. I would patch it up
and put cream on it as needed.
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2. An 84-year-old client is to move from the bed to the chair and then ambulate in the hallway at least twice a
day. The patient is reluctant to do this because he is feels extremely weak and unsteady on his feet.
a. What devices might be appropriate to assist the client with these activities? I would use a gait belt
along with a walker to assist this client. I would make sure the client has on proper walking shoes and
proper clothing.
b. What are some simple actions a nurse can take to provide increase safety for the patient to prevent
falls? One thing the nurse can do to insure the patient safety is walk behind the patient instead of in front
or on the side of the patient. Another thing would be to have another nurse or aid to follow me with a
wheelchair and to assure the client that if he needs to sit down and take a rest the chair is right behind
him.
c. List some items or actions that should be used to provide safety when transferring the patient from the
bed to the chair? A few items or even actions the should be used to provide safety when transferring the
patient from the bed to the chair would be a gait belt, shoes, moving the chair closer to the patient and
guiding the patient to the chair.
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