is it wrong to sit on a patients bed?

[LPNweezy]

My nursing instructor told me once to never ever sit on a patients bed. I work at a LTC facility and i see some nurses sitting on the side of the bed with alert and oriented patients when they are counseling them or trying to cheer them up. What do you think about this practice? please keep in mind that this is not a hospital setting. thanks :)

[JeneraterRN]

I agree with many of the respondants. Sitting on the bed may seem too familiar too some, but most will dislike looming over them more. I haven't in the past because I was taught not to, so I kneeled by the bed. A ruptured ACL put a stop to my kneeling, so I've started sitting on beds without complaints.

[RockinChick66]

Omg, this happen to a fellow CNA that i work with she got scabies from sitting on the patients bed, and even changing the patient at one point with out wearing gloves.

Did she get rid of them? Scabies is a horrible disease to get, and I've heard that it's very hard to get rid of this pestilence. Why not just play it safe and pull up a chair instead.

add: I've heard that scabies is more of a problem in LTC.

[linearthinker, DNP, RN]

I agree with many of the respondants. Sitting on the bed may seem too familiar too some, but most will dislike looming over them more. I haven't in the past because I was taught not to, so I kneeled by the bed. A ruptured ACL put a stop to my kneeling, so I've started sitting on beds without complaints.

You got down on the floor? That's grosser than the bed.

Is grosser a word?

[caliotter3]

You got down on the floor? That's grosser than the bed.

Is grosser a word?

More gross sounds better.

[aduliRN]

I really don't see anything wrong with it, I'm guilty of it myself but I've learned why a lot of places/people frown on it: sitting on a patient's bed is an infection control issue; you could very well have something on your scrubs from another patient or pick up something from that person's bed and carry it around. I try to grab a chair whenever there's one available; but I detest standing over a person while speaking to them, being level to level with a person aides in communication and helps establish or reinforce a positive nurse/patient relationship.

[Juwon]

Did she get rid of them? Scabies is a horrible disease to get, and I've heard that it's very hard to get rid of this pestilence. Why not just play it safe and pull up a chair instead.

add: I've heard that scabies is more of a problem in LTC.

Yes, this did happen in a LTC facility, she is actually still being treated for it. It happened a little less than a month ago. As for me personally, I always wear gloves, pretty much the whole shift. When i enter a pt room to touch the light switch, open the door, etc, i have on gloves. I NEVER change a resident without gloves, we even have one CNA that walks around without shoes sometimes, which is so unprofessional and digusting. I prefer to stand, I dont know whats in their bed.

[Gold_SJ]

In my area I don't feel it's wrong to sit on a client's bed. I work in paediatrics and when with non infectious children the ability to comfort and speak/play with them on their level I feel is greater when sitting on the bed/couch at their side as they chat/play/cry.

I do agree with infectious control issues and touching any of the surroundings say in a babe with bronchiolitis it is important to remember not to sit down on bedding (a big no-no, you don't want to spread it) or touch anything without washing your hands immediately afterwards.

But a child with a head injury? Appendectomy? Cancer? Leukemia? Fracture? Well I think it's perfectly fine. I think a person just needs to use their critical thinking abilities. Weight up infectious concerns also whether appropriate for that particular client. Example a fifteen year old boy would find it quite uncomfortable for a women to sit on his bed, so you wouldn't.

I think as nurses we just need to use common sense and try to provide the best holistic care we can. If that means sitting on a bed or not, it's our call and I don't think it should be no for all situations.

[Brea LPN]

Yes, this did happen in a LTC facility, she is actually still being treated for it. It happened a little less than a month ago. As for me personally, I always wear gloves, pretty much the whole shift. When i enter a pt room to touch the light switch, open the door, etc, i have on gloves. I NEVER change a resident without gloves, we even have one CNA that walks around without shoes sometimes, which is so unprofessional and digusting. I prefer to stand, I dont know whats in their bed.

Walking around without shoes? EWW! EWW! EWW!!

[Juwon]

Walking around without shoes? EWW! EWW! EWW!!

Lol, yes it is very gross, she going to catch something between her toes lol. The DON has gotten on her about it, but she stills does it on occasion. You never know whats on the floor in the nursing homes. I always scan the entire floor that i am going to walk on, i know where to step and where not to without having to look down too much. Working in this environment, it has become second nature.

[BarnabusRN]

For some reason I read .."Spit on a patients head."

[casi, ASN, RN]

I'll admit I sit on patient's beds occasionally. Just the other night I had someone sitting up on the edge of the bed burst out in tears because she was frustrated by a new onset of severe pain. I plopped my big 'ol butt down next to her gave her a hug and explained my plan of care to help keep her pain under control.

Would my old nursing books have frowned upon this? Oh heck yeah. Did it theraputically help the patient? Yes.

I honestly believe it depends on the patient and the situation. Normally when I want to get down on level with a patient, as I hate towering over them I either crouch or kneel. It's rare I have time to find a chair and pull it up. Last time I pulled up a chair to a patient's bedside it was next to the bedside of a dying woman who was having a rough night and had absolutely no family. So my aide and I took turns sitting at her bedside trying to calm her. Much of my time was spent with one hand in hers and the other hand attempting to do paperwork.

[nursing6207]

When I was in nursing school I was told the same thing. They are kinda up tight in nursing school. I do it now when I'm trying to comfort the patient. I think it's fine if they are ok with it too.