Bed Making: Occupied & Unoccupied

Critical Elements

• Maintain Universal Precautions.
• Maintain patient safety.

Procedure

Prior to Procedure: (Critical Thinking)

• Gather equipment: clean sheets and pillow case.

Patient Interaction: (Safety)

• Assist patient to chair if making unoccupied bed.
• Provide for privacy.
• Explain procedure.
• Wash hands.

Steps of the Procedure (Patient Centered Care; Infection Control)

Unoccupied Bed:

1. Position bed flat, raise to working height, lower siderails.
2. Apply gloves and PPE if necessary.
3. Loosen all bedding, fold and place clean bedspread and/or blanket on clean area.
4. Remove all sheets and pillowcases, place in laundry hamper.
5. Apply flat bottom sheet, smoothing and allowing at least 10 inches to hang over at the top and sides. Tuck in on all 4 sides.
6. Apply draw sheet or waterproof pad if needed, tucking in sides.
7. Place top sheet and bedspread along one side of mattress, unfold completely.
8. Make a square corner in the top sheet and bedspread at the foot of the bed.
9. Tuck the top sheet and bedspread in at the same time, mitering the corner. Repeat on the other corner at the foot of the bed.
10. At the head of the bed, fold sheet down over the bedspread, fan fold the sheet and bedspread open to the foot of the bed.
11. Pillowcase: turn inside out, grasping the middle of the pillow, pull pillow case over the pillow, keeping the outer pillow case away from clothing.

Occupied Bed:

1. Apply gloves and PPE if necessary.
2. Position bed flat if possible, raise to working height, lower siderails nearest the nurse, leaving down only when on that side.
3. Disconnect the call light and remove patient"s personal items.
4. Remove bedspread and/or blanket and place on clean area.
5. Cover patient with bath blanket, if available.
6. Position patient, sliding to the far side of the bed in a side lying position facing the siderail. Put pillow under head.
7. Tightly fold soiled linens toward the patients back, tucking the roll under patient.
8. Place clean bottom sheet and draw sheet near side of mattress with center vertical fold at the center of the bed.
9. Fanfold the half clean linen on the far side, fold it close to the patient and tuck under dirty linen.
10. Tuck the lower edges of the lean linen under the mattress, smoothing wrinkles.
11. Roll patient over the dirty linen to the other side rail.
12. Move to other side of the bed, lowering side rail, Pull soiled linen away from patient, place in laundry hamper.
13. Pull clean linen to other side, smooth and pull tight.
14. Roll patient to center of bed, tuck linen in, forming square mitered corners.
15. Place top sheet and bedspread along one side of mattress, remove bath blanket.
16. Tuck the top sheet and bedspread in at the same time, mitering the corner. Allow space for feet to move. Repeat on the other corner at the foot of the bed.
17. At the head of the bed, fold sheet down over the bedspread.
18. Pillowcase: turn inside out, grasping the middle of the pillow, pull pillow case over the pillow, keeping the outer pillow case away from clothing.
19. Return bed to low position, raise siderails.

After Procedure (Patient Centered Care, Safety)

• Straighten room making patient comfortable, replace call light.
• Wash hands before leaving room.

Documentation (Informatics, Communication)

• Completion of task.
• Patient"s response to procedure.

Resources

• How to make a bed?