Principles of Mobility and Function for Rehabilitation Professionals

Presented by Andrew J. Opett

12-Month Subscription

Unlimited access to:

  • Thousands of CE Courses
  • Patient Education
  • Home Exercise Program
  • And more
Video Runtime: 35 Minutes; Learning Assessment Runtime: 38 Minutes

This course will cover principles that are relevant for clinicians working with patients in a rehabilitation setting. Principles of body mechanics, bed mobility, patient transfers, and ambulation patterns and techniques will be discussed. Demonstration videos and still images will be utilized with a focus on patient and caregiver safety. An overview of commonly used functional scales in rehabilitation settings will be discussed. This course is appropriate for nurses working in inpatient rehabilitation settings. Other providers such as physical therapists and occupational therapists who are new to working in acute rehabilitation settings may also benefit from this course content.

Meet your instructor

Andrew J. Opett

Andrew Opett received a bachelor of science degree in biology from the State University of New York at Geneseo in 1996; a bachelor of science degree in health sciences from Nazareth College of Rochester, New York, in 2000; and a master of science degree in physical therapy from Nazareth College of Rochester, New York, in…

Read full bio

Chapters & learning objectives

Principles of Posture and Body Mechanics

1. Principles of Posture and Body Mechanics

This chapter will discuss principles of body mechanics. Use of proper body mechanics during lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling will be discussed and demonstrated with a focus on safety of the patient and caregiver.

Bed Mobility and Transfers

2. Bed Mobility and Transfers

This chapter will discuss how to transfer patients of varying levels of functional mobility. Instruction on how to properly set up the patient and guard them for safety during the transfer will be discussed and demonstrated.

Ambulation

3. Ambulation

This chapter will discuss how to safely ambulate patients of varying levels of functional mobility. A review of commonly used ambulation aids and their applications will be discussed and demonstrated.

Functional Scales

4. Functional Scales

This chapter will review functional scales that are commonly used in rehabilitation settings. The Functional Independence Measure (FIM), Barthel Index, and Katz Index will be discussed. Scoring and standard interpretation of these tests will be reviewed.