Nurses are trained in mobility and are always ready to help

Ashton Gibson, MSN, RN-BC
Clinical Manager, SJ/C Rehab & Skilled Nursing
Candler Hospital

Smart Living: Nurses let patients know to call them for help with standing or walking. But when family or friends visit, patients may feel it’s easier to ask them for help instead. Why is it important for patients to call the nurse even when they have visitors?

Ashton Gibson: We want a nurse, nursing assistant or patient care tech to help a patient who needs to stand or walk in order to make sure that patient is safe. It’s certainly not a bother or an inconvenience for us, and we would never want a patient to feel that way. It’s our job to help!

We do love it when families get involved—for example, being present at the bedside when we are mobilizing a patient. They can learn the techniques that we use to do it safely, because we want to keep the patient safe but also keep the caregiver safe from injury as well.

SL: Why is mobility so important for patients?

AG: Through the patient mobility team that I lead, we have learned that patients who are able to be mobile earlier in their admission often do better when they move to their next level of care, whether it’s discharging home or to post-acute services like rehab. So we use the Bedside Mobility Assessment Tool, or BMAT, to assess a patient’s mobility. This helps guide nurses on what mobility activities we can do with each patient to get them moving safely.

St. Joseph’s/Candler has invested in several kinds of lift equipment and other tools to help patients be mobile. We have the technology, the training and the knowledge for doing it safely. So please, even if it’s late at night or you have a visitor willing to help, never hesitate to call the nurse.