Assisting the Resident to Sit on the Side of the Bed

Written by Hollie Finders, RN
Hollie Finders is a registered nurse with years of experience working in the health care field. She has degrees in both biochemistry and nursing. After working with patients of all ages, Hollie now specializes in pediatric intensive care nursing. Hollie’s LinkedIn

Procedure

Equipment needed: footstool (if required).

  1. Perform hand hygiene.
  2. Explain the procedure to the resident and ask for his or her assistance in following directions.
  3. Lock the bed wheels and ensure the bed is in its lowest position.
  4. If the head of the bed is adjustable, raise it so the resident is in a sitting position.
  5. Slide one arm under the resident’s shoulders and the other arm under the resident’s thighs.
  6. While providing support, pivot the resident so his or her legs dangle off the side of the bed.
  7. Support the resident until he or she has adjusted to the position change.
  8. Provide a footstool if the resident cannot reach the floor with his or her feet.
  9. Allow the resident to dangle for as long as ordered or proceed with the next procedure (taking vital signs, transferring the resident, etc.).
  10. If the resident reports dizziness lasting longer than one minute while dangling, assist the resident in lying back down.
  11. To lay the resident back down, place your arms under the resident’s shoulders and thighs and slowly turn the resident back into his or her original position.
  12. Assist the resident into a comfortable position and adjust the head of the bed, if necessary. Place the call light within the resident’s reach.
  13. Perform hand hygiene.
  14. Document the procedure in the resident’s chart and report any changes in the resident’s condition to the nurse.

Important Information

Having the resident sit on the side of the bed is otherwise referred to as dangling. When a resident quickly changes position, especially from lying to sitting or standing, there can be a rapid drop in the resident’s blood pressure. This drop in blood pressure may cause dizziness or lightheadedness [1]. Dangling allows the resident to reach equilibrium in the upright position. The nurse’s assistant should encourage the resident to remain seated until he or she has regained balance and can safely assume a standing position.

References

1. Postural Hypotension: What it is & How to Manage it

More Resources

Dressing and Undressing a Patient

Patients who have suffered a stroke or have weakness or injury to one side of their body may struggle with dressing and undressing. In order to help these patients regain their strength and independence, it is important that the nurse’s aide only assist them as needed. The nurse’s aide may need to teach patients how to dress and undress safely with their limitations.

Logrolling the Resident

Logrolling is a technique used to roll a resident onto their side without the resident helping, and while keeping the resident’s spine in a straight line. This is especially important for residents who have had spinal surgery or injury.

Offering the Bedpan

When a resident is bed-bound, they must use a bedpan to urinate and defecate. This can be embarrassing for the resident, so it should be done with sensitivity to the resident’s privacy and dignity. There are two types of bedpans. A regular bedpan is the deeper and more rounded of the two. A fracture pan has a relatively flat upper end with a trough at the lower end. Fracture pans are used for residents who have difficulty, or restrictions against, moving their hips and/or backs.

Measuring the Respirations

Respiration is a vital sign that is measured frequently in the healthcare setting. Taking this measurement requires no equipment and relatively little time. However, it is a measurement that must be taken accurately, as a change in respiration may indicate the worsening of a patient’s condition.

Moving the Resident to the Side of the Bed

Residents are usually kept in the center of the bed for safety reasons. However, moving a resident to the side of the bed is an important step to take before turning a resident onto his or her side. Performing this action allows the resident to end up side lying in the center of the bed and not smashed up against the side rail.

Measuring Blood Pressure

Many factors can interfere with obtaining an accurate blood pressure. The most common mistakes that lead to inaccurate blood pressures are a result of improper technique, including: not supporting the patient’s arm, using the wrong sized cuff, positioning the cuff too low on the patient’s arm, improper positioning of the cuff’s artery marker, and attempting to measure blood pressure through clothing.