That time my gait belt snapped during a transfer in front of the whole unit

I was helping a heavier patient out of bed after a hip replacement, maybe 8am on a Tuesday, and the belt just gave out right as she pushed off. She slid back onto the mattress thank goodness, but I heard the rip and my heart dropped. I called for a second tech, we used a fresh belt and a slide board, and I reported the old one to the supply closet guy. Anyone else ever had equipment fail mid-transfer and how did you handle the patient's trust after?

1 comments

1 Comment

brookepark1mo ago

Have you checked the belts in your supply closet lately? I had one give out on me years ago and now I make it a point to give every belt a quick tug test before I hook it on a patient.