Sunday, February 21, 2010

New Stretchers

My work is finally getting new stretchers. I work as a patient transporter at Beaumont Hospital in Grosse Pointe, and I have been there for four years. The primary means of patient transport at the hospital involves stretchers. The stretchers we are using are ancient, and leftovers from when Beaumont bought Bon Secours in 2007. They are falling apart, and the wheels on most of them are broken. This results in the stretchers not steering right, and it usually results in more effort on our part to push them. This effort results in strain on the back. I could go on about how bad these stretchers were, but I am excited to talk about the new ones we will be getting.

Last week, our department got the approval for 7 new stretchers. The plan is to purchase even more as time goes on. The stretchers are of the "Big Wheel" model from the Stryker company. Our OR uses these models, and I just love them. The greatest feature on these stretchers is the Big Wheel. It is a giant wheel in the middle of the stretcher, and is used for steering. The Big Wheel also makes the stretcher easier to push. I'm not exactly sure why, but I am guessing it is due to how big the wheel is compared to traditional stretcher wheels. Words can't really express the poor condition of our current stretchers. Patients may not be able to see it, but every transporter knows just how badly we need this. Christmas will soon come again, but this time in the form of a Stryker delivery truck.


(This is the ER version of the Big Wheel stretcher, somewhat similar to what we will be getting. I couldn't find a picture of that exact model)
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4 comments:

  1. JuanFebruary 24, 2010 at 8:33 AM

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  2. Blogg or no BloggFebruary 24, 2010 at 6:59 PM

    I'm glad, at my recent visit to the hospital my nurse didn't seem to have the greatest time transporting me or anyone for that matter. I was laying down once trying to let the gate down and was two-seconds away from jamming my finger. So even though I didn't and I don't push people at the hospital, I fee your pain.

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  3. JuanFebruary 24, 2010 at 7:56 PM

    Have you ever accidentally bumped a patient in one of the stretchers, dropped someone? That would be funny. Though as a patient I would like to smack you with an ugly stick. Just writing this comment I'm laughing. Sorry. I know this is no laughing matter.

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  4. J. ZabiFebruary 24, 2010 at 11:43 PM

    Nope, I have never hit the walls or dropped anyone lol.
    I have had a few times where I pulled a patient over from their bed to the stretcher, and the mattress slid off. That is another thing about our old stretchers, the mattresses on them were no longer attached to the metal frame work. It took me, and other transporters, about a year of complaining to get it fixed. All they needed were velcro to keep the matress on the metal frame when we pull patients over. Thank God those POS stretchers are on their way to the dump.

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