The working environment in an operating theatre is often distinguished by demanding work processes and limitations on available space. As a rule, operating theatres are packed with all kinds of equipment, so staff will often have little room in which to lift and/or move the patient.
When dealing with bariatric patients, it is not uncommon to have to call on the assistance of 4–6 people to complete the move in the best and gentlest manner possible. This, in turn, often requires carers to work in awkward, ergonomically challenging positions.
As patients in operating theatres are generally under the influence of painkillers and/or anaesthetics, they are rarely capable of providing any assistance themselves when they are being lifted, moved and positioned.
All in all, operating theatres are often the setting for complex moves – turning patients onto their stomach, for example – and procedures that typically involve multiple staff.
