DANGLING AT THE BEDSIDE: ASSISTING THE PATIENT

Course overview

Dangling at the bedside is a safety promotion intervention whereby a patient who is moving from lying in bed to standing is first assisted into a sitting position at the edge of the bed, with the legs positioned over the side of the mattress. It is an interim strategy for preventing falls due to orthostatic hypotension (OH, i.e., a rapid decrease in blood pressure [BP] that occurs in some individuals when moving rapidly from lying flat to standing). This continuing education module is designed to give the reader/learner an increased understanding of dangling at the bedside as a safety measure for patients with OH. Readers may explore any or all of the topics. One contact hour of continuing education credit is available for those who successfully complete the post-test and evaluation form.