Patients that cannot move on their own must have their position changed at LEAST every two hours around the clock to prevent pressure sores from forming. But turning a patient is not hard if the proper technique is used and it doesn’t take a lot of strength. These patients will have a specific turning schedule (back, left side, back, right side, back, left side…) and we must maintain this schedule to promote healthy skin and muscles. So, how do we know which side we are supposed to turn the patient on? Read the care plan!
See that little red button above the video? That is the care plan for the state exam. Click on it. Go ahead, I’ll wait. You are graded on reading and following the care plan – it counts big! This care plan specifically tells us to turn the patient onto his LEFT side. Any deviation can cause the patient to develop bedsores due to excessive pressure for long periods. This is a graded checkpoint on the exam. Always read and follow the care plan!
This video shows this skill demonstrated according to the specific testing care plan used by Prometric for the exam.