Patient support apparatus having motorized wheels

A patient support apparatus for propelling a patient along a floor, the patient support apparatus comprising

• a frame configured to support the patient,
• at least one dual-wheel motorized caster coupled to the frame and engaging the floor, the at least one dual-wheel motorized caster having first and second motors and first and second wheels coupled to the first and second motors, respectively,
• power drive circuitry coupled to the first and second motors of the at least one dual-wheel motorized caster to selectively drive the first and second motors to propel the patient support apparatus along the floor via rotation of the first and second wheels and to selectively swivel the at least one dual-wheel motorized caster about a caster swivel axis, and
• a joystick movable to provide an input command to the power drive circuitry regarding propulsion of the patient support apparatus, the joystick having a handle that is movable into a dead band zone to command the power drive circuitry to swivel the at least one dual-wheel motorized caster into a drive orientation corresponding to a drive direction of the patient support apparatus without propelling the patient support apparatus in the drive direction, the handle also being movable from the dead band zone into a drive zone to command the power drive circuitry to propel the patient support apparatus in the drive direction via rotation of the first and second wheels by the first and second motors, respectively.