[Durgical](https://durgical.com/en/) › [DurgiPedia](https://durgical.com/en/durgipedia/) › [Nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/) › [Mobility and comfort](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/areas/mobility/) › Transfers: bed to chair, bed to stretcher and mechanical lifts # Transfers: bed to chair, bed to stretcher and mechanical lifts - Procedure Most injuries to patients and staff happen during transfers: plan them, use the right equipment and never lift by hand. Updated Nov 5, 2026 ## Key points - Most injuries to patients and staff happen during transfers. - Sit the patient on the edge of the bed for a few minutes before standing and ask about dizziness: it prevents orthostatic hypotension. - Brakes on bed and chair; non-slip footwear before standing. - Mechanical lift: always two people, and check the device's weight capacity. - Do not let the patient put their arms around your neck; move from the trunk, not the arms. ## What it is A transfer moves the patient from one surface to another: bed to wheelchair, bed to stretcher or to the toilet. It is the moment of highest injury risk for both patient and staff. The method depends on how much weight the patient can bear and on their strength and cooperation: a gait-belt transfer for someone who bears weight and cooperates, a sit-to-stand lift for someone who bears some weight but cannot stand alone, a full-body mechanical lift with a sling for someone who cannot bear weight, and a slide board or slide sheet to move someone lying down from bed to stretcher. ## Indications - Moving from bed to chair, toilet or stretcher to eat, wash, go for tests or mobilise. - Patients who cannot transfer safely on their own. - Progressive mobilisation according to the care plan and physiotherapy. ## Contraindications and precautions - Do not use a gait belt over abdominal wounds or with some heart conditions: ask first. - If sitting up causes dizziness, pallor or a drop in blood pressure, stop: lay the patient down and report. - Respect weight-bearing, hip or spine restrictions and drains and tubes. - Do not apply the lift brakes while the patient is suspended or standing in the sit-to-stand lift, unless the manufacturer says so. - If the patient does not cooperate or the load exceeds what is safe, get more staff or a device; do not lift by hand. ## Equipment - Wheelchair or stretcher with working brakes. - Gait belt (transfer with one or two helpers). - Sit-to-stand lift or full-body mechanical lift with the prescribed sling (full-body or split-leg). - Transfer board or slide sheet for the stretcher. - Non-slip footwear, a blanket and personal protective equipment as needed. ## Step by step (and why) - Check the plan: level of help, weight-bearing allowed, device and number of staff — the right method prevents injuries. - Identify, explain and ask the patient to help as much as they can — their cooperation reduces the load. - Lock the bed, clear obstacles and place the chair next to the bed, locked — stops the surface from moving. - Sit the patient on the edge of the bed with feet on the floor and ask about dizziness — prevents falls from orthostatic hypotension. - Put on non-slip footwear and a snug gait belt with room for your fingers — lets you hold without pulling on the arms. - With knees bent and back straight, count out loud and pivot on your feet — everyone moves at once, without twisting. - With a lift: two people, the right sling, check capacity and raise only as far as needed — the safe method when the patient cannot bear weight. - To a stretcher: bed and stretcher level and locked, slide board or sheet and several people — sliding avoids lifting. - Settle and align the patient, leave the call bell in reach and record the method and tolerance — gives continuity and safety. ## Complications - Patient fall during the transfer. - Orthostatic hypotension with dizziness or fainting. - Skin injury from friction or shear. - Accidental removal of tubes, catheters or drains. - Back and shoulder injuries in staff. ## Next step: when to call for help - If the patient falls, do not lift them: protect the head, do not move them and tell the nurse in charge at once. - Report dizziness, chest pain, breathlessness, pallor or a change in consciousness on sitting or standing. - Report when the transfer plan is no longer safe (the patient bears less weight or cooperates less) so it can be reassessed. - Record and report every fall or near fall under the adverse-event protocol. ## Test yourself Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it. ## Why is the patient sat on the edge of the bed before standing? To prevent orthostatic hypotension: they sit for a few minutes and are asked about dizziness before going on. ## How many people are needed to use a mechanical lift? Always at least two. The device's weight capacity is also checked and the prescribed sling is used. ## What method is used to move a patient lying down from bed to stretcher? A slide board or slide sheet, with both surfaces level and locked, and several people. The patient is slid, not lifted. ## What do you do if the patient starts to fall during a transfer? Do not try to hold them up: guide them to the floor protecting the head, do not move them and report at once. [Add to my cards (4)](https://durgical.app/estudiar/?add=/en/nursing/transfers-bed-to-chair-bed-to-stretcher-and-mechanical-lifts/) ## Connections ## Related 1 - [Body mechanics and safe patient handling](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/body-mechanics-and-safe-patient-handling/) [← All of nursing](https://durgical.com/en/nursing/) Educational content for students; it does not replace your institution's protocols, supervised clinical training or a prescriber's order. Dose-calculation examples use made-up numbers: they are educational, not a clinical order. Sources: [Nursing Assistant, 8.4: Assisting Clients to Transfer](https://med.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Nursing/Nursing_Assistant_(Reuter)/08%3A_Utilize_Principles_of_Mobility_to_Assist_Clients/8.04%3A_Assisting_Clients_to_Transfer) (Chippewa Valley Technical College, Open RN remix (LibreTexts), 2022); [Nursing Fundamentals, 13.2: Basic Concepts (Mobility)](https://med.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Nursing/Nursing_Fundamentals_(OpenRN)/13%3A_Mobility/13.02%3A_Basic_Concepts) (Open RN, Chippewa Valley Technical College (LibreTexts), 2021); [About Safe Patient Handling and Mobility](https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/healthcare/sphm/index.html) (CDC / NIOSH, 2024). ## **Spotted a mistake?** We are always improving for the community. Tell us what is wrong and our team will review it. Report a mistake Representative model, for educational purposes only. --- Source: https://durgical.com/en/nursing/transfers-bed-to-chair-bed-to-stretcher-and-mechanical-lifts/ License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/nursing/transfers-bed-to-chair-bed-to-stretcher-and-mechanical-lifts/