N
urses 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 easi-
er. 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 under-
neath. 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 pil-
lowcase is already set up under-
neath and ready to go.
Brent Klev, RN, MBA
South Jordan Health Center
University of Utah
Hospital and Clinics
South Jordan, Utah
brent.klev@hsc.utah.edu
SOFT LANDING
Use Pillowcases for Patients in Prone Position
Step 3
Step 2
Step 1
Brent
Klev,
RN,
MBA
TURNING TIP Nurses place their arms in a
pillowcase when they turn patients into the prone
position at the South Jordan Health Center.
O U T P AT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 4
1 4
IDEAS
That Work
Practical pearls from your colleagues
