Bariatric Nurse Coordinator: Carving Out a New Role in Bariatrics

The purpose of this paper is to describe the need for a nurse coordinator in bariatrics in the acute care setting. Bariatric patients present special challenges in mobility and safe handling for patients and staff in the acute care setting. Some barriers to providing care are staff 's attitudes regarding their personal safety; equipment limitations, availability, and accessibility; building structure weight load limitations; lack of knowledge of available resources; and lack of understanding of specialty bed criteria. In addition, strategic planning for the management of these patients is crucial to safely and appropriately care for them, such as the identification of adequately sized equipment and dealing with the limitations of units' construction and design. A bariatric nurse coordinator is an emerging role requiring a nurse with specialized, competent knowledge in bariatric patient care who has the visionary and management skills to coordinate patient care throughout a healthcare system.