Reduce Staff Injuries with Lighter Weight Patient Positioners

In a given day, nurses have been estimated to lift a total of 1.8 tons in a single shift—yes, nearly 2 tons!—making it no wonder they consistently rank as having one of the highest incidence rates of back, neck, and shoulder injuries. Consequently, more than one-third of all U.S. nurses miss work due to some sort of musculoskeletal disorder.1,2

More often than not, these high incidence rates are tied to improper handling or transferring of patients. But while that is well documented as one of the highest risk factors in keeping healthcare workers out of work, handling heavy or bulky medical equipment is right behind it.2

Carrying the Load—The Strain of Heavy Patient Positioners

Patient positioners are common accessories used in surgical or imaging suites and help ensure proper positioning while providing stability and comfort for the patient. But what may not be as commonly known is how heavy or bulky positioners can be.

Many traditional positioners are made from stabilizing materials such as gel and are frequently chosen for their ability to move with patients to reduce pressure or shear. However, solid gel can be extremely heavy and cumbersome to manage, making them especially challenging for nurses and other staff who are routinely required to transport and set them up for various procedures.

With at least half of all nurses having reported experiencing some type of back pain due to excessive lifting,2 regular handling or carrying of heavy equipment such as positioners can take an even greater toll on staff who are already lifting a “ton” every day.

But as staff are often needed to transport positioners, how can facilities help reduce this heavy burden?

Lightening the Load—All the Benefits of Gel, Only Lighter

AliMed’s AliLite™ Precontoured Positioners are a unique hybrid design, combining all the pressure-relieving properties of gel with a lightweight inner foam core that is 50% lighter than gel-only positioners—making them much lighter and easier for staff to handle without sacrificing any of the positioning benefits of their gel counterparts.

Between lifting patients and managing their care, nurses already have a huge load to tackle in their everyday job functions. Handling heavyweight patient positioners doesn’t have to be one of them.

View AliMed’s full line of AliLite Positioners.

RESOURCES:

  1. http://ojin.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Volume92004/No3Sept04/EvidenceBasedPractices.aspx
  2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519066/
  3. https://journals.lww.com/ajnonline/Citation/2003/02000/Myths_and_Facts_About_Back_Injuries_in_Nursing_.21.aspx

Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!

Image

Latest

Linda Shively
Turning Loss into Light: Linda Shively’s Mission to Help Others Heal
October 24, 2025

Sometimes life changes us in ways we never expected. Moments of loss, challenge, or transition can leave us wondering who we are now and what comes next. This episode of Crafted Journeys is about that quiet, powerful process of finding our way back to joy—one thoughtful step at a time. How do we begin again…

Read More
Bouvet Island
To the Edge of the World: The 3Y0K Bouvet Island DXpedition and Its Youngest Explorer
October 23, 2025

In February 2026, an international team of 24 amateur radio operators will embark on a bold mission to one of the most remote and inhospitable places on Earth—Bouvet Island. Among the world’s most isolated islands, Bouvet offers no harbor, no shelter, and no easy way in. Yet from this icy outpost in the South…

Read More
DXpedition
Icom Powers 3Y0K: Ham Radio’s Most Ambitious DXpedition to Remote Bouvet Island (Part 2)
October 23, 2025

Few places on Earth are as inaccessible—and as coveted by amateur radio operators—as Bouvet Island. Located in the South Atlantic, this uninhabitable rock has long been regarded as the “Mount Everest of DXpeditions.” According to the DXCC Most Wanted List, Bouvet ranks near the very top of sought-after contacts, making every attempt to activate…

Read More
DXpedition
Icom Powers 3Y0K: Ham Radio’s Most Ambitious DXpedition to Remote Bouvet Island (Part 1)
October 23, 2025

Bouvet Island sits at the edge of the world. It is frozen, uninhabited, and almost impossible to access. Fewer people have set foot there than in space. That level of remoteness is exactly what makes it so valuable to amateur radio operators. The island ranks tenth on ClubLog’s list of Most Wanted DXCC entities,…

Read More