TURNING TIP Nurses place their arms in a pillowcase when they turn patients into the prone position at the South Jordan Health Center.

SOFT LANDING
Use Pillowcases for Patients in Prone Position

Nurses dread positioning a patient prone. After the patient moves onto his stomach, it’s usually tricky to move your arms out from underneath him without getting caught or sticking to his skin. At my center, we use a pillowcase to make the process easier. If you’re doing the “catching,” put both arms in a pillowcase and spread it open. As another nurse flips the patient, use the pillowcase to catch him as he rolls onto his belly. You can then better position the patient with your arms underneath. When you’re done, pull your arms out of the pillowcase, leaving it under the patient. This trick helps to protect the patient from any harm caused by skin-on-skin contact. Plus, when it comes time to turn him back over, the pillowcase is already set up underneath and ready to go.

Brent Klev, RN, MBA
South Jordan Health Center
University of Utah Hospital and Clinics
South Jordan, Utah
[email protected]