When caring for the elderly, the biggest part of the job is handling and moving. This is why handling and moving training is crucial for all carers, nurses, and HCAs. This training is an essential part of the nurses’ qualification. Without having ample knowledge of moving and handling, patient care is impossible. 

Why Is Moving And Handling Training Necessary?

As a carer, the first thing that you have to do at a care home or a healthcare facility is take direct care of the patients. Although elderly patients are more likely to face mobility challenges, patients with injuries, certain illnesses, and disabilities also need support in terms of moving from one place to another. If a carer doesn’t have the right training to handle and move a patient, they can’t ensure the patient’s safety. Mishandling can cause accidents and can hurt either the patient or the carer. 

What Is Handling & Moving Training?

Since it is evident that moving and handling training is crucial for patient safety, let’s take a look at the training itself. 

Compliance, Rules & Regulations: 

The training not only includes using the appropriate techniques to move and handle the patients but also covers the guidelines, medical compliance, legislation, and policies. Moreover, the setting in which a patient is placed also plays a huge role in their moving and handling. Certain rules and regulations must be followed by the carers to avoid any major consequences. 

Handling & Moving Mobility Aids: 

Another thing that is included in this training is the handling of the lifting and moving equipment. If a carer doesn’t know how to operate a lifting machine or a stair lift, they are not fully equipped to take care of the patient. In most training today, the use of mobility aids is also being taught to the nurses and the carers. 

Communication For Smooth Handling & Moving:

Communication is also key in the moving and handling of a patient. Letting the patients know that they will remain comfortable during a movement or explaining to them that they don’t have to worry about anything is more important than actually handling and moving them. 

Moving & Handling Loads:

When a care professional or a nurse is given the training, they are also taught about some other heavy lifting too. Carrying supplies, moving furniture, assisting colleagues with moving heavy machinery, and doing other manual tasks are all part of their job at a care home or a healthcare organisation. This is why they are also included in the training. 

Risk Assessment:

Patients’ needs can vary even if they are suffering from the same diseases or have gone through the same ordeal. Similarly, their mobility challenges can also be very different from each other. While for some of them, moving on their own might be completely out of the question, others would be able to move with minimal assistance. Judging between the two is risky, this is why risk assessment and handling accordingly is also part of the training. The purpose of risk assessment training is to ensure the safety of the patient and prevention from falling on their back and hurting their spine. 

PPE: 

PPE is also a component of the training. After COVID-19, wearing a mask is also mandatory in most institutes. Gloves, supportive belts, and appropriate shoes are also a part of the handling and moving process. The purpose of this drill is to minimise the harm to the healthcare professionals in case a patient is sick and needs assistance in moving. 

Off-Limit Weights & Lifting: 

Knowing the limits is an unavoidable part of the training. While helping with moving and handling requires great strength, care professionals are taught to step away when the weights are far off their handling and lighting abilities. It may seem heroic to some carers to go the extra mile but the real bravery is knowing and accepting your limits as this is the only way you can ensure consistent care of your patients. 

Moving And Assisting Training 

Just like moving and handling training, moving and assisting training is equally significant in patient care. Mobility issues are not always permanent. Sometimes, with guided assistance, they can gain back their ability to move independently. For such patients, encouragement, support, and trust are very important in the process. These are the things that carers have to give to the patient along with assisting them with their movement. 

Some examples of assisted moving include helping patients move with a walker, helping them lift themselves up from a chair or bed, and physical therapy of a certain body part that they are unable to move freely and quickly because of an injury or an illness. 

Do I Need Moving And Handling Training If I Want To Work As A Carer?

Yes, you must get the training before putting yourself out for a job. Patient care is not something you can take lightly. Being already at a vulnerable stage in their lives, patients can’t be left at the mercy of unqualified professionals. So if you are considering pursuing this profession, you must go for all the necessary training courses including the moving and handling training. 

There are plenty of nursing agencies that provide moving and handling professional training for nurses. However, to choose the right agency or institution, you must always ask questions about the details of the course. Also inquire about compliance, legislation, guidelines, rules, and regulations to avoid getting stuck with an unprofessional agency. For more important healthcare information, trends, and useful tips, keep reading our blog. 

At ESGO, we help care professionals connect with healthcare employers looking for carers and nurses for temporary staffing solutions. You can sign up on the platform through our website or you can also download our app on Android and iOS and become a member today. ESGO can help you find a flexible job in the UK’s leading cities. To learn more, check our website or download our app today!