When developing a patient care plan, an assessment/evaluation should be completed to determine necessary equipment and staff. When in doubt, assume the patient cannot assist with the transfer/repositioning. If the patient's condition is stable, such as in long- term care, a care plan is conducted initially and as the status of the patient changes or based on facility policy. In clinical settings where patient condition may change, the patient's condition and equipment required must be reevaluated more often.

At the end of this assessment are two separate but important sub-sections: Fall History and Health Conditions that affect safe patient handling and movement. They must be considered in your planning. These two sub-sections are not necessary for all algorithms.

Instructions: Answer all 17 questions for one patient and your answers will be used to determine equipment needs for each selected task. Not all questions apply to every task. The answers on the assessment will persist until you clear the form.