Problem
You are back from your six weeks of annual leave. You are allocated to look after Mrs. Smith, 65 yrs. old lady with a medical history of Obesity and weighs 102kg, Type 2 DM and HTN. She was admitted for a Total Hip replacement two days ago. She was moved to the orthopaedic ward last night from ICU.
The physiotherapy department reviewed Mrs. Smith, and the physio advised the nurses to hoist and transfer Mrs. Smith from bed to chair and Hovermat to move her up in the bed. At 1700 hrs Mrs. Smith said she would like to sit out of bed to have her dinner. When you go to get the lifting machine, you notice that it is left unattended at the end of the corridor. Two of the three lifting machines are faulty. The unused batteries are not attached with a charger for charging.
You also notice that one of your colleagues has left a wheelchair in front of the fire exit as the storage area is full. Since the resignation of the OHS rep from your ward several months ago, faulty equipment issues have not been addressed. Your nurse unit manager is busy with staffing and budgeting. Most of the staff in the ward are new or agency. Hence, issues like these are not informed to the NUM and Management team.
In the storage area, you find the sling appropriate to Mrs. Smith size. However, it is soiled by faeces and urine. Finally, you notice proper equipment to transfer Mrs. Smith, and Sarah the EN student is happy to assist you in the process of moving. Sarah is a short girl only 140cm whereas you are 180cm tall.
• Identify three existing and potential hazards as per this scenario.