Positioning
The deliberate placement of a patient's body to promote comfort, prevent complications, facilitate breathing, and support healing.
These questions hand you a diagnosis and ask which position is best, so learn the condition-to-position pairings: left lateral (Sims’) for an enema, or left lateral plus head-down to trap a suspected venous air embolism in the right heart. With one diseased lung, place the patient good lung down to send perfusion to the better-ventilated side — except lung abscess or hemorrhage, where the affected side goes down so pus or blood can’t spill into the healthy lung. Increased ICP gets the head midline, HOB 30°; after a hip replacement, an abduction pillow and no hip flexion past 90° prevent dislocation.
The classic trap is confusing positioning with its neighbors: it is the choice of placement for a goal, turning is the scheduled repositioning that prevents pressure injuries (individualized per NPIAP 2019), mobility is moving the whole body, comfort the felt outcome. Avoid two dated answers: Trendelenburg for shock (favor passive leg raise or supine) and flat bed rest after a myelogram — modern water-soluble contrast keeps the HOB elevated 30–45° (some older banks still say “lie flat”).
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