How to Make a Bed Like a Nursing Assistant

While it may seem like common knowledge, changing a bed in a hospital or nursing home is different than changing one in your own home. The challenge of making a bed like a nursing assistant is to make the task happen as quickly --- and neatly --- as possible, while refraining from sacrificing patient care and ensuring the area is as sanitized as possible. It's best to gather all of your supplies before entering the patient's room to expedite the process.

Things You'll Need

• Rubber gloves
• Dirty laundry hamper or bin
• Clean fitted sheet
• Clean flat sheet
• Clean pillowcase
• Blankets
• Bedspread

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Instructions

• 1

  Don a pair of rubber gloves and gather supplies. Once in the room, raise the bed to a comfortable height that does not hurt your back or cause too much of a stretch as you work. Start on one side of the bed to reduce the amount of movement required to make the bed. In a large facility, you may change several dozen beds per shift, so reduce the risk of repetitive pain by finding a level that is appropriate for your comfort.

• 2

  Remove all bedding. If soiled, put the bedding into a laundry bin. If not, set them in a chair. Don't shake or disturb the blankets too much while you fold them to refrain from spreading contamination into the air.

• 3

  Pull off all pillowcases. Set the pillows on a clean surface and the pillowcase at the center of the bed. Remove the sheets by unhooking the fitted sheet from the mattress and pushing the dirty fitted and flat sheets toward the center of the bed. Take them directly to the laundry bin. Do not shake or fluff the dirty sheets to keep dust, dirt, and pathogens from flying into the air.

• 4

  Wash and/or flip the mattress. Only do this as necessary based on your facilities practices. A nursing assistant should always look for exposed springs when the sheets are removed and notify the appropriate department if there is a need for the mattress to be removed.

• 5

  Stretch the fitted sheet over the mattress on one side. Then, push toward the other side. Lay the flat sheet over the fitted and position the sheet to have about a foot of overhang. Sheets which are folded lengthwise will have a crease to guide you to find the center of the sheet; however, in an occupied bed, this line will not be visible, so accustom yourself to eyeballing the overhang to center the flat sheet. Spread out the blanket following the same procedure to gauge the amount of overhang needed.

• 6

  Miter the corners of the bed. Do this by placing your hand along the edge of the sheet and blanket about a foot away from the end of the bed. Grip the sheet and blanket and pull up only that portion over to the top of the bed. This will create a triangle shape. Tuck under any overhang along the end of the bed and side. Drop the sheet and blanket back down to complete the miter.

• 7

  Move around to the other side of the bed. Pull the fitted sheet around the final two corners. As a nursing assistant, you must make absolutely sure that there are no wrinkles or creases in the sheet, which can cause bedsores and skin breakdown. Spread the flat sheet and blanket out flat across the bed. Finish by mitering the corner on the other side of the bed.

• 8

  Place a clean pillowcase over the pillow. Prop the pillow up at the head of the bed if that is preferred by the patient. Nursing assistants and other hospital and care facilities are required to place the pillows with the opening of the case facing away from the door.