BACK INJURY PREVENTION IN EMERGENCY CARE, 24-7
EMS ONLINE CLINICAL ESSENTIALS (2026 EDITION)
You are on a call with a new partner, a rookie. You and your partner need to lift a petite, elderly
fall patient from the ground to a hydraulic stretcher and then into your ambulance. You and
your partner lift with your legs to get the patient to the stretcher. You use the hydraulic lift to
raise the stretcher and then prepare to lift it down a couple stairs to the driveway, and then into
the ambulance. What is the best advice you can offer your partner as you complete the lifts
necessary to complete this call? - CORRECT ANSWER-Be careful lifting this stretcher; it's heavier
than the ones you may have trained on, and takes more effort to lift safely.
What is a major impact on the EMS workforce when a provider sustains a back injury? -
CORRECT ANSWER-Other providers may have increased fatigue due to covering additional shifts
while someone is on sick leave.
You and your partner are lifting up a patient who has fallen to the ground between his bed and
the wall. He is wedged in an awkward position. How should you proceed with lifting this
patient? - CORRECT ANSWER-Hold your hands close to your body and distribute the load evenly
as you lift.
When you bend to the side to pick up a bag of equipment, what is the main force acting on the
spine? - CORRECT ANSWER-Shear
You are running a training eẋercise on proper lift mechanics at your EMS organization. You
observe two providers completing a lift of a "patient," and one of the providers has the lifting
form shown in the image. How would you evaluate his lift mechanics? - CORRECT ANSWER-
Good; the provider is keeping the load close to his body.
You and your partner are on the second story of a house where your elderly patient has fallen.
You need to transport this patient to the hospital. What do you need to do first to lift this
patient? - CORRECT ANSWER-Size up the lift and coordinate with your partner.
EMS ONLINE CLINICAL ESSENTIALS (2026 EDITION)
You are on a call with a new partner, a rookie. You and your partner need to lift a petite, elderly
fall patient from the ground to a hydraulic stretcher and then into your ambulance. You and
your partner lift with your legs to get the patient to the stretcher. You use the hydraulic lift to
raise the stretcher and then prepare to lift it down a couple stairs to the driveway, and then into
the ambulance. What is the best advice you can offer your partner as you complete the lifts
necessary to complete this call? - CORRECT ANSWER-Be careful lifting this stretcher; it's heavier
than the ones you may have trained on, and takes more effort to lift safely.
What is a major impact on the EMS workforce when a provider sustains a back injury? -
CORRECT ANSWER-Other providers may have increased fatigue due to covering additional shifts
while someone is on sick leave.
You and your partner are lifting up a patient who has fallen to the ground between his bed and
the wall. He is wedged in an awkward position. How should you proceed with lifting this
patient? - CORRECT ANSWER-Hold your hands close to your body and distribute the load evenly
as you lift.
When you bend to the side to pick up a bag of equipment, what is the main force acting on the
spine? - CORRECT ANSWER-Shear
You are running a training eẋercise on proper lift mechanics at your EMS organization. You
observe two providers completing a lift of a "patient," and one of the providers has the lifting
form shown in the image. How would you evaluate his lift mechanics? - CORRECT ANSWER-
Good; the provider is keeping the load close to his body.
You and your partner are on the second story of a house where your elderly patient has fallen.
You need to transport this patient to the hospital. What do you need to do first to lift this
patient? - CORRECT ANSWER-Size up the lift and coordinate with your partner.
