Which transfer safety practice helps prevent injury when moving a patient from a wheelchair?

Which transfer safety practice helps prevent injury when moving a patient from a wheelchair?

• A. Call for more staff
• B. Have patient stand quickly
• C. Lock the wheels on the wheelchair before starting transfer
• D. Rush the transfer

Answer: (C)

Locking the wheels creates a stable, immobile base so the patient can be moved with control. When the chair can’t roll or shift, the risk of the patient losing balance, tipping, or slipping during the transfer is greatly reduced, which protects both patient and staff from injury. The other options don’t address stability during the move: asking for more staff doesn’t fix the immediate risk of the chair moving; having the patient stand quickly is unsafe and can cause loss of balance; rushing the transfer increases the chance of improper technique and falls.

Locking the wheels creates a stable, immobile base so the patient can be moved with control. When the chair can’t roll or shift, the risk of the patient losing balance, tipping, or slipping during the transfer is greatly reduced, which protects both patient and staff from injury.

The other options don’t address stability during the move: asking for more staff doesn’t fix the immediate risk of the chair moving; having the patient stand quickly is unsafe and can cause loss of balance; rushing the transfer increases the chance of improper technique and falls.