Positioning
Included In This Lesson
Outline
Nursing Points
General
- Select the ideal vein
- This impacts all other positions
- Ex: Selecting a leg vein will mean you have to elevate the bed versus being able to place the arm in a bedside table.
- Place the extremity or position in the ideal location
- Elevating a foot will decrease optimal vein filling
- Dangle arms to improve blood flow
- Pumping the fist can help increase blood flow
- This impacts all other positions
- Patient comfort
- Select a position comfortable for the patient
- If they are uncomfortable, they are less likely to cooperate
- Ex: Sitting a patient upright after abdominal surgery may be uncomfortable
- Be mindful of patient needs
- Nursing ergonomics
- Raise the bed to the real working height
- If you’re not comfortable, the process will become even more frustrating
- If you can’t raise the bed, then sit
- Pull up a bedside chair and place the patient’s hand or leg so you can access it comfortably
- Raise the bed to the real working height
Transcript
In this lesson we’re going to talk about patient positioning as it relates to your IV placement. What you want to do is think about three things whenever you’re looking at your patient’s position. The first one is ideal site location. The second one is patient comfort, and the last one is nursing ergonomics. So let’s take a look at the first one. The first one is an ideal site selection. So what that means is if we’re putting in maybe a foot Ivy, we want to make sure that we put the foot in the best position, the most proper position, and the most optimal position to get that IV started. If I raise that foot up really high, it’s actually going to cause that Venus draining, so your the veins are going to be flat, they’re not going to pop up like you want them to. It’s going to make it more complicated.
It also is uncomfortable for the patient, so always think, take that into consideration. The second thing is patient comfort. You never want to put your patient in a compromising position where it could affect them health wise or something that’s uncomfortable. If they’re uncomfortable, they’re not going to be compliant. They’re going to wiggle. You’re going to have a more difficult time getting that IV set. So always put your patient in a very comfortable position. And the last one is nursing or ergonomics. And when I say nursing ergonomics, I’m talking about your safety. I’m talking about making sure that you are comfortable and that you are really doing things in an optimal position and optimal comfort for you. The last thing you want to do is have the bed in the lowest position. You’re trying to get a foot Ivy, and then all of a sudden your back hurts.
And for the rest of the day, you’re just aching. And you don’t want to do that. So what you need to do is you need to raise that bet up to the real working height. I’m a tall guy, I’ve always told my patients every time I’m raising them up in the bed, Hey, you’re going for a little ride, because that’s important for them to know that they’re going to be really high up in the air. But it’s for my safety as well. The other thing is if that’s not going to work for you, you can also put the patient’s bed in the lowest position and then bring that bedside chair over and have them dangle that arm over and you can get that IV, but that way. So always take these things into consideration when you’re looking at your patient’s position. Now, I hope these tips have really helped you out. Now, like we always say, go out and be your best selves today, and as always, happy nursing.
Tiona RN
Concepts Covered:
- Studying
- Medication Administration
- Adult
- Emergency Care of the Cardiac Patient
- Intraoperative Nursing
- Microbiology
- Cardiac Disorders
- Vascular Disorders
- Nervous System
- Upper GI Disorders
- Central Nervous System Disorders – Brain
- Immunological Disorders
- Fundamentals of Emergency Nursing
- Dosage Calculations
- Understanding Society
- Circulatory System
- Concepts of Pharmacology
- Hematologic Disorders
- Newborn Care
- Adulthood Growth and Development
- Disorders of Pancreas
- Postoperative Nursing
- Pregnancy Risks
- Neurological
- Postpartum Complications
- Noninfectious Respiratory Disorder
- Peripheral Nervous System Disorders
- Learning Pharmacology
- Prenatal Concepts
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- Developmental Considerations
- Factors Influencing Community Health
- Childhood Growth and Development
- Prenatal and Neonatal Growth and Development
- Developmental Theories
- Basic
- Neonatal
- Pediatric
- Gastrointestinal
- Newborn Complications
- Labor Complications
- Fetal Development
- Terminology
- Labor and Delivery
- Postpartum Care
- Communication
- Basics of Mathematics
- Statistics
- Basics of Sociology
- Cardiovascular
- Shock
- Shock
- Disorders of the Posterior Pituitary Gland
- Endocrine
- Disorders of the Thyroid & Parathyroid Glands
- Liver & Gallbladder Disorders
- Lower GI Disorders
- Respiratory
- Delegation
- Perioperative Nursing Roles
- Acute & Chronic Renal Disorders
- Respiratory Emergencies
- Disorders of the Adrenal Gland
- Documentation and Communication
- Preoperative Nursing
- Legal and Ethical Issues
- Oncology Disorders
- Female Reproductive Disorders
- Musculoskeletal Trauma
- Renal Disorders
- Male Reproductive Disorders
- Sexually Transmitted Infections
- Infectious Respiratory Disorder
- Integumentary Disorders
- Emergency Care of the Trauma Patient
- Urinary Disorders
- Musculoskeletal Disorders
- EENT Disorders
- Neurological Emergencies
- Disorders of Thermoregulation
- Neurological Trauma
- Basics of NCLEX
- Integumentary Important Points
- Multisystem
- Test Taking Strategies
- Urinary System
- Emergency Care of the Neurological Patient
- Central Nervous System Disorders – Spinal Cord
- Respiratory System
- Emergency Care of the Respiratory Patient
- Cognitive Disorders
- Anxiety Disorders
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- Substance Abuse Disorders
- Bipolar Disorders
- Psychotic Disorders
- Concepts of Mental Health
- Eating Disorders
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- Health & Stress
- Psychological Emergencies
- Somatoform Disorders
- Prioritization
- Community Health Overview
- Gastrointestinal Disorders
- Integumentary Disorders
- Respiratory Disorders
- Neurologic and Cognitive Disorders
- Renal and Urinary Disorders
- Infectious Disease Disorders
- EENT Disorders
- Hematologic Disorders
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- Growth & Development
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- Note Taking
- Concepts of Population Health
- Basics of Human Biology