This document provides instructions for making hospital beds in different situations: open beds for occupied or soon to be occupied beds, closed beds for empty beds, and admission beds for newly admitted patients. It describes the necessary supplies, steps, and rationales for properly making each type of bed. The goal is to provide clean, comfortable beds for patients while maintaining sanitation and preventing the spread of infections. Key steps include spreading and tucking in sheets smoothly and properly in a head-to-toe order using proper body mechanics. Soiled linens should be discarded and supplies replaced after bed making is completed.

1. Demonstration on Bed Making
By
Josfeena Bashir, Lecturer, BGSBU,Jammu
DEFINITION OF BED MAKING
As comfort, safety, rest and sleep all are important in maintaining health and promoting recovery
from disease, special care should be taken to provide comfortable bed to patients during their
stay in hospital making a comfortable bed is responsibility of nurse.
PURPOSES OF BED MAKING:-
a) to provide clean and comfortable bed for the patient.
b)to give neat tidy appearance to the unit.
c) to keep it ready for any emergency.
d) to receive patient comfortably.
e) to establish inter-personal relationship.
f)to economize the time, material and energy.
g)to prevent bed sores.
GENERAL RULES TO BE OBSERVED IN BED MAKING:-
 Have all equipments on hand and arrange conveniently to handle in order of use.
 Wash hands before and after procedure.
 Do not expose patient unnecessarily.
 Protect patient from draught.
 Do not cover the patient face while placing the linen.
 Do not mix clean linen with dirty linen.
 Never place woolen blanket on patients body directly.
 Fold dirty linen away from your uniform.
 Avoid placing dirty linen on floor.
 Start work from head to foot ,neartofar,and from clean to unclean.
 Make bed smooth and wrinkle free.
 Avoid using torn linen.
 Maintain body mechanics.
 Keep responsible distance from patients face to prevent cross infection.

2. PREPARATION OF ARTICLES WITH RATIONALES:-
a) Damp duster and dry duster to clean the metal bed
Rationale :-to prevent spread of infection.
b) kidney tray.
Rationale :- to receive wastes.
c) mattress with cover
Rationale :- to protect mattress.
d) bed sheets -2
Rationale- to use as bottom and top sheet.
e) draw sheet
Rationale :- To cover mackintosh.
f) a draw mackintosh-1
Rationale :- To protect bed linen..
g) pillow cover-1 and pillow -1
Rationale :- to protect pillow, to provide comfort.
h) counter pane
Rationale :- To protect top linen.
i) blanket
Rationale: to provide warmth
j)stool/chair
Rationale: to mkeep articles.
k) dirty linen trolley
Rationale:- to discard dirty linen.

3. 1) OPEN BED:-it is bed made when it is about to be occupied by new patient or already
occupied by ambulatory patient .
STEPS OF BED MAKING :-
1) Wash hands and take articles to patient’s bed.
Rationale :- Prevent cross infection
2) loosen the top linen starting from head end and proceed to foot end.
Rationale :-allow easy removal of linen.
3)remove the sheets one by one after making 4 folds .if re used, arrange them on back of chair
after shaking them gently.
Rationale :-it prevent sheet from touching the floor.
4) Roll the mackintosh and place it over the chair.
Rationale :-mackintosh is not folded to avoid creases.
5) remove the bottom sheet, folding it into four or six.
Rationale :-prevent sheet from touching the floor.
6) remove the mattress cover if soiled and dust the mattress and the cot with damp duster while
cleaning, start from cleaner area to less clean area and replace cover of mattress.
Rationale :- damp dusting prevents spread of dust.
7) place the folded bottom sheet on the head and corner of the mattress on your side and spread it
straight.
Rationale : to cover mattress and to spread evenly on all sides.
8) Tuck 12-18 inches under the mattress on head end when tucking linen, keep the feet slightly
apart and flex the knees while bending.
9) make mitered corners while tucking.
Rationale ;-keeps bed neat and tidy.
10)tuck at foot end and secure mitered corner on your side.

4. 11) spread the draw mackintosh at the center of the bed and tuck from your side.
Rationale :-to protect the mattress and keep it dry from spiling of water etc.
12) place draw sheet over the mackintosh about 3.5 inches above mackintosh and tuck it along
the right side.
Rationale :-to prevent chilling and direct contact of rubber sheet with the patient.
13) Go to the other side and tuck in each of bottom linens as done before.
Rationale :-to maintain good body mechanism .
14) come back to previous side and spread the top sheet over the bottom linen in the same
manner as with the bottom sheet. Make toe pleat at the foot end of the bed, if required.
15) if a blanket is used, spread it over the top sheet.
Rationale :-to provide warmth to patient..
16) Spread counter pan over the blanket placing its centre at the centre of the bed such that it
covers the blanket tuck top edge of the counter pan over and under the top edge of the blanket.
Rationale :- To provides extra warmth .
17) tuck at the foot end altogether and make mitered corners on the sides.
Rationale ; -tucking foot end keeps linen fixed on the bed.
18)place pillow with cover, keeping the open end away from the entrance.
AFTER CARE OF PATIENT’S UNIT AND ARTICLES :-
1) Help patient to get into bed.
2) comfort devices to be provided if needed.
3) Discard soiled linen.
4)wash duster and kidney tray and replace them..
5) wash hands thoroughly.

5. 2.CLOSED BED :- IT is an unoccupied /empty bed to receive the patient and fully covered with
counter pane to protect it from dust and dirt on admission of the patient ,the closed bed is
converted into open bed.
PURPOSES:-
1)to keep the bed ready for occupancy.
2) to provide a neat and tidy appearance to the unit.
ARTICLES PREPARATION AND AFTER CARE ARE THE SAME AS FOR OPEN BED.
3) ADMISSION BED:-This is bed which is prepared to receive a newly admitted patient.
PURPOSES:
 TO WELCOME THE PATIENT .
 TO PROVIDE IMMEDIATE CARE, SAFETY AND COMFORT.
 TO PROTECT THE BED LINEN WHILE GIVING BATH ON ADMISSION.-
EXTRA ARTICLES NEEDED:- A long mackintosh and a bath blanket articles for bed bath.
And hot water bottles.
STEPS OF ADMISSION BED :- A long mackintosh and bath blanket are put over the open
bed, until such time a thorough bath is given on the bed at time of admission after bath the
mackintosh and bath blankets are removed.
BIBLIOGRAPHY :-
a) The Trained Nurses Association of India, A procedure manual, 1st
edition 2005, page no. 317
to 324.
b) www.google.com