Healthcare professionals are essential to our well-being, but their physically demanding jobs often lead to strain on both the body and mind. Specialized ergonomic advancements can rejuvenate work environments, boosting caregiver efficiency and comfort.
One such example is the TR 3200 shower trolley, which enables a variety of functions and provides ample clearance underneath for use with mobile hoists. This specialized bathing trolley reduces risk for carers and patients, offering them both greater mobility and dignity.
Adaptability
Healthcare professionals work in demanding physical roles that demand adaptable, ergonomic equipment. By aligning equipment and workspaces with the natural movements of healthcare workers, ergonomic solutions reduce strain on their bodies, minimize the risk of injury, and foster a harmonious work environment. One key ergonomic solution is medical carts and mounting stations that offer flexible height adjustment controls, allowing caregivers to customize their positioning and maintain comfortable postures during extended periods of time.
Shower bath trolleys are another essential healthcare equipment that can be adapted to meet the needs of patients and residents. The TR3200 shower trolley, for example, offers a number of adjustable features that prioritize ergonomics while also boosting caregiver efficiency and safety. Its patented Ergo-Access areas help caregivers remain close to residents and patients while maintaining comfortable working postures, and its lateral adjustment enables stretcher overlap during seamless transfers.
Furthermore, the TR3200 shower trolley has been designed with a generously-sized platform to give caregivers room to maneuver their patients during personal care procedures and prevent falls. This feature is especially important for users with cognitive or behavioral issues who may become anxious if they feel confined in a small space during their transfers.
The shower bath trolley’s rim can be electrically raised and lowered to different positions, enabling caregivers to easily collect water or wash the patient without needing to move them. When positioned in the highest position, the rim serves as a shallow bathtub for the user, while still allowing the main table top to remain unobstructed for easy transfers from a wheelchair or stretcher.
Ultimately, ergonomic changes to healthcare equipment such as carts and mounting stations can make all the difference in reducing strain on healthcare workers and improving the quality of patient care. By optimizing equipment and workspaces, ergonomic solutions can significantly reduce the risk of WRMSDs and other injuries among healthcare workers while promoting efficient and harmonized work environments in hospitals and care homes.
For example, the TR3200 shower trolley is equipped with a flexible, hygienic waste pipe that allows for fast drainage, as well as a convenient foldaway guard and mattress extension to provide greater accessibility and a more dignified changing experience for the user. Its surface is made with smooth, sanitary material that can be easily wiped clean between uses and meets the strictest infection control standards. Its compact design and intelligent cable management system further streamline cleaning, facilitating faster, easier maintenance.
Mobility
With their mobility and ease-of-use, shower trolleys offer an ergonomic solution for changing and bathing patients. Unlike traditional hospital beds, these wheelchair-accessible showers feature a platform that is designed with a mattress to provide students a comfortable space to lay. Bed rails on either side keep students secure and safe, and the trolley can be locked to prevent it from being moved once it’s in place.
Ergonomic Computer Carts and Mounting Stations
With a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, it’s important for facilities to provide ergonomic equipment that helps keep their staff healthy and productive. Computer mounting systems and carts help reduce the strain on the back and neck, minimizing risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSD). Using these innovative tools helps ensure that the workplace is properly aligned with healthcare professionals’ preferred posture, resulting in less fatigue and discomfort.
These ergonomic solutions help promote a safer and healthier working environment for caregivers, fostering a more harmonious healthcare ecosystem. This is evident in the fact that several healthcare institutions have successfully implemented these technologies and witnessed an increase in both staff health and patient care quality.
As the leading provider of healthcare products, Wealden Rehab is proud to offer a wide selection of high-quality shower trolleys that are ideal for addressing the needs of different users. For instance, the hydraulically adjustable TR 3200 shower trolley has a capacity of up to 225kg and offers a flat platform that provides ample room for patients to lie. It also includes a central braking system to ensure safety and stability during transport.
Moreover, the rim of this wheelchair-accessible shower can be raised and lowered electrically to serve as a shallow bath. Its textured surface feels soft and is easy to clean, and it can even be used with a ceiling hoist or sling. It also has plenty of clearance underneath to accommodate a mobile hoist.
Additionally, the patented Ergo-Access areas on this shower trolley are specifically designed to facilitate better access for caregivers and enhance comfort for patients or residents. They feature a unique lateral tilt function that allows caregivers to move the user more easily, as well as a patented flexi zone that provides a flexible and safe showering position. This ergonomic design is also complemented by its anti-tipping and anti-rollover features, ensuring safety and versatility.
Safety
As healthcare facilities seek to optimize their workflow efficiencies and enhance patient comfort, ergonomic innovations such as stainless steel shower trolleys are increasingly being recognized as indispensable tools. These specialized trolleys help to ensure seamless patient transfers and provide a comfortable, safe bathing experience.
Designed with caregiver safety in mind, these innovative shower trolleys can be used to safely transfer patients from beds to the shower or hygienic bathing while reducing the physical strain. This helps to minimize strain on caregivers and promotes greater efficiency in the workplace.
The rim of the shower trolley can be raised and lowered electrically to make showering comfortable and convenient. In its highest position, the rim acts as a shallow bathtub. The lying surface of the shower trolley is pleasantly soft, feels warm, and is easy to clean. There is also plenty of clearance underneath the shower trolley for use with a mobile hoist.
To better understand the challenges that nurses face when using shower trolleys, a participatory ergonomic approach was taken. During the study, nurses were asked to perform showering tasks with actual patients under normal work conditions. Video frames of the activities were then analyzed by an ergonomist. Critical aspects that emerged from the data included the need for strength (St): lifting/moving, a requirement for torso rotation and extension/flexion; the ability to reach/reach; and a need for good vision/acuity.
Incorporating the design features of a modern shower chair into daily patient care practices helps to reduce the risk of injury for both patients and caregivers. This minimizes the need for physical strain, reducing the risk of musculoskeletal disorders and promoting a healthier, happier healthcare workforce. LINAK actuator solutions are used for motion control on these best-in-shower trolleys, providing a smooth and precise movement that helps to prevent damage to the patient and facilitates effective cleaning. This makes it easier to maintain a hygienic and comfortable showering environment for the patients in healthcare facilities and nursing homes worldwide. Ultimately, it is this dedication to patient safety and caregiver wellbeing that elevates the quality of healthcare services and enhances overall satisfaction levels.
Comfort
Often in hospital environments, the bathroom and shower rooms are cramped and un-adapted to the needs of patients and care givers. The resulting ergonomic challenges may have severe consequences for both the patient’s wellbeing and the nurse’s working performance. This is the reason why the design of bathrooms should be based on the analytical assessment of all potential risk determinants carried out through a participatory approach to ensure that they are safe and usable for patients, enabling them to remain in a lying position while being assisted in their hygiene care.
Providing a comfortable and secure environment for patients is of vital importance to their well-being, and also increases the efficiency of the caregiver’s work. To this end, the bathroom should be spacious and adaptable to the user’s specific needs. For example, the toilet and shower taps should be positioned within the limits of the patient’s comfortable and physiological limits; items such as shelves and mirrors that are located too high require trunk rotation and changes in body posture which are difficult and potentially harmful for most seated patients with limited mobility.
The Barella adult shower trolley has been designed to address these concerns and provides a robust and versatile solution for facilitating safe transfers and the provision of appropriate level showering for bariatric patients, with a weight capacity of up to 225 kg. The trolley is fitted with heat insulated padding and a soft trolley liner that protects the patient in the event of any accidental movements during transport, offering both patient and carer safety.
The Barella shower trolley features twin-pedal hydraulics accessible from both sides, a padded mattress platform in one section, built-in oxygen cylinder cradle and full length storage space in the base, a reclining head end rail and an easy to clean sanitary unit. It is also equipped with 4 twin-wheel (or optional alternative) castors and a lateral tilt function to allow the bed to be placed in a lateral position to extend the working area for cleaning purposes. This combination of safety and versatility provides the ideal solution to assist in providing the best possible hygiene care for patients of any size or level of independence.
