bed making class?

Bedmaking is a basic nursing skill. You learn the basics before anything else. Though I am an LPN student not an RN student, all nurses needs to know all the parts of nursing.

Currently I am a CNA. I chose that route, before becoming a nurse, because I wanted to work my way up and understand where others were coming from. I am glad I did. It's kept me from being narrowminded about things and I've learned all about empathy. When I become an LPN, if a resident needs a bedpan, I will assist them instead of hunting down a CNA to do it, like some nurses do. There are RN's at my work who aren't afraid to put someone on a bedpan or change a persons dirty pad.

I am a licensed professional now...I make beds, wipe heinys, clean up vomit and help the elderly with their basic daily living skills. An RN should know and experience the professional people's job under them(CNA's LPN's, etc). And yes, your statement did come off as being snotty. Sorry if I sound harsh, but you need to learn that all aspects of nursing including making beds, is an important part of your job.

Originally posted by twarlik

I just started the nursing program last week and tonight we talked about bed making (among other things). The entire time I was just sitting there thinking that it was the silliest class. I hate to sound snotty, but I don't really understand why a licensed professional like an RN should have to make the beds. The RN has so much more to worry about, why should the correct pleating of a sheet be one of those things???? Hopefully I'll never have to worry about making a hospital bed once I'm in the real world.

Do any of you feel this way?

Todd...Todd...Todd:chuckle

When you get your nursing license and start work, even the most basic of skills will be needed. There will be times when the only staff available are RNs, or the unlicensed personnel will be busy; then, you WILL have to make a bed or two.

I don't mind doing things like that, it's part of the job. I guess it depends where you would work though, I know lots of RN's who take on patients in their unit and are expected to perform these duties.

Originally posted by twarlik

I hate to sound snotty, but I don't really understand why a licensed professional like an RN should have to make the beds. Hopefully I'll never have to worry about making a hospital bed once I'm in the real world.

If "real world" means not in nursing, then you're in luck.

You most certainly will be making beds at some point (if not often) during your career. The good news is bountiful though. First of all, it's easy. Military corners are easy once you get the hang of it and you'll soon find yourself a pro. Secondly, bed-making takes a backseat to the ABC's. Ultimately, you'll never lose a job over a badly made bed. However, a neat, clean, presentable room is appealing to your patient and is to them an aesthetic indicator, like it or not, of what type of care they will receive. No harm in getting off on the right foot, right?

Nursing is multi-tasking at it's best. Your job will include paperwork, restocking, ordering supplies, making phone calls, fetching juice, making beds, wiping brows, and even taking out the trash (and if you don't believe me, take a good long look at your job description before you get hired on at the hospital). We all work together with every single department to ensure the best possible stay for our patients, and a positive attitude goes a long way. Not to mention if you come off "snotty" about it to the CNA's who are working under you, you're suddenly going to find them a lot less helpful. Nobody likes to be told (or have it implied that) their job duties are beneath another's.

Good luck in school! :)

If you go into home health care where will your CNA be to make that bed for you? No where. It's all on you.

I appreciate everyone sharing their opinions. I suppose I'm just having a problem dealing with the idea that housekeeping issues, like making the bed, are often the responsibility of the RN. Guess this will just be something I need to work through.

Thank you again.

Todd

at my local hospital, the volunteers make the beds. However, there are times when the volunteer just cannot do them all and the nurses have to step in and help out.

Todd - I think I can kind of understand where you are coming from. It seems that many websites in particular (this one is an exception) seem to portray nursing to be more glamorous than it actually is ... they forget to mention that part of nursing is dealing with irate patients/family, cleaning up all manner of bodily fluids, changing beds, etc. (of course I'm not a nurse yet, but this is what I've heard anyway)

This actually has me a little frightened of pursuing a nursing degree.. I'm not so good with the "yuck" factor and don't know how well I'll handle some of those other tasks... I'm hoping that I'll just get over it and realize that it's all part of helping people, but I don't know. It doesn't help that when I went and shadowed in the radiology department (for application to RT school) that the Rad nurse vehemently told me NOT to go into nursing (of course, that's just one person's opinion, but still... it left a lasting impression)

My first bed making day was what I thought a cakewalk. So I go and collect all of my bedding and come back to an empty room. No bed, No patient, NADA.

First thing I thought was I killed her taking her vitals.

Needless to say she went for tests but hey, I was only a student, why tell me?

Todd,

A lot of my classmates have a similar attitude/idea about being an RN and what you should and should not be responsible for as in they don't believe that they should have to learn and do bad bathes, bed making, etc.

I on the other hand don't and I'll tell you why.

First, you may be the RN and have Aides, Techs or LPN's assisting you but ultimately that patient is your responsiblity. If an Aide misses something and you don't catch it and god forbid something goes wrong with your patient whether it be serious and life threatening to something very basic, it is still your responsibility and may affect your plan of care, etc. Now, what RN want's to have to make up a whole new care plan for something that could have easily been avoided

Let's say for instance, the bed was incorrectly made by the Aide, what sorts of problems could you encounter that would negatively affect the patient? Well, if the linens were bunched up or if you had a too many bed pads your patient may have skin shearing and develop bed sores.

Also, as the RN you will be doing a lot of "Thinking" but don't forget that you are also responsible for facilitating a therapeutic relationship with your patient. Even though you may not always have the time to do so, when you do have the time you should be interacting with that patient to develop that relationship and making sure that all of their needs (tangible/physical and emotional/psycho-social) are being met. What better way to develop that caring, helping relationship than providing even basic care to them like bed making and bed bathes. It gives you one-on-one time with the patient and shouldn't just be seen as a task but an opportunity to speak/interact with the patient.

Last, there will be times when you are short an Aide or other staff and you will just have to pitch in and help as best as you can. Is it fair to the patient that they have to sit in dirty or soiled linens because the floor is short staffed but the nurse doesn't think that it is their duty to take care of basic and menial tasks?

I'm not trying to sound harsh or be a meanie but there is some point and wisdom in teaching RN's all these basics. You just have to look at it from a couple different points of view. It's hard at this point I know, we are learning the very basics and fundamentals right now and it isn't always easy at this stage of school to put it all together.