Thread on giving baths got me thinking, and was wondering if nurses still make beds with "hospital" corners anymore. Also is learning the three basic types of beds part of formal nursing education anymore?
I'll leave aside the mandate that pillow slip opening must face away from the door for now. *LOL*
Merely require information, as am often gobsmacked at what passes for a bed these days in hospital, and often hear "I don't have time for that".
I grew up with a mother who was an RN and a father who had been an RN before he went to medical school -- I was an independent adult living on my own before I discovered there was any other way to make a bed! (except -- we didn't use draw sheets at home ... )
(And it's true -- nothing feels as comfortable as a properly-made bed when you're ill and miserable.)
I'm a CNA and we have fitted sheets. Most of the time I actually do make hospital corners with the top sheet, but I'm not too concerned about making them even on both sides. I do the pillow away from the door thing too. Sometimes I will make a bed, spread and all, with the person still lying in it (if I know I'm gonna be pressed for time later) and then hospital corners go out the window.
Specializes in Plastics. General Surgery. ITU. Oncology.
Back in the Dark Ages when I trained bedmaking was a nursing art. Tight bottom sheet with no creases because creases cause pressure sores. Top sheet exactly equal and NEVER tucked in (surgical ward) Blanket folded at foot of bed.
We change our patients beds q shift. Mostly the CNA's do it, but if I see a patient up the bathroom I'll run in and change the bed. We have fitted sheets though, and I don't tuck in the bottom of the sheet/blanket because it creates a fall risk with SCDs.
It would have been useful if I had been taught to make nests in school....
I am HORRIBLE at making nests when I get a baby. That's one time when I beg for the techs to do it. Not that I'm "too good" or "too busy" to do it, but every tech at my hospital does a better job of making them than I do.
And I have to say, the best patient positioning I ever see is a tech that used to work in rehab. She's AMAZING at it.
On my ward, we take pride in neat beds. (And pillows have to face with the opening towards the window!). I think it makes it looks like we made an effort to clean and make the bed. Sloppily made beds irritate me. So whilst a bed is not my top priority, it doesn't take more than 30 seconds extra to make hospital corners.
Never learnt the 3 basic types of bed; what are they?
For the babies to snuggle up in. Generally created from foam, blankets, towels, sheets, whatever the nest creator has available. If you elevate the head of the giant bed (for reflux precautions) then just lay the baby on the giant mattress, they'll be rolling down that sucker. So you create a nest for them to snuggle in and keep them positioned upright. :)
elkpark
14,633 Posts
I grew up with a mother who was an RN and a father who had been an RN before he went to medical school -- I was an independent adult living on my own before I discovered there was any other way to make a bed! (except -- we didn't use draw sheets at home ...
)
(And it's true -- nothing feels as comfortable as a properly-made bed when you're ill and miserable.)