Learning Guide

CHCCCS012
Prepare and maintain beds
 FOREWORD

This publication is one of a number of learning guides produced by The Australian Medical
Association (WA) Inc as a resource for the health sector. It is utilised within AMA Training Services
and Health Training Australia as a training resource and within the workplace as a support guide.

The development of this workbook was undertaken by a number of trainers and developers within
AMA and HTA, who have both industry knowledge and specific expertise in the course content.

Although every effort has been made to present reliable and accurate information, the AMA will
assume no responsibility for outcomes and actions resulting from the application of the information
presented in this workbook. Users are encouraged to confirm application in conjunction with
protocols within their specific work environment.

This book is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research,
criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process
without written permission. Please forward all enquiries to:

The Manager
Health Training Australia
PO Box 133
NEDLANDS WA 6909
Telephone: (08) 9273 3033
Facsimile: (08) 9273 3045
Email: hta@amawa.com.au
Website: www.htawa.com.au

ISBN 978-0-9925342-9-5
30/03/2017
 CONTENTS
INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS .................................................................................................... 5 
Training ......................................................................................................................................... 5 
On and Off-the-Job Training.......................................................................................................... 5 
Assessment ................................................................................................................................... 5 
Tips for Students ........................................................................................................................... 6 
INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................................. 7 
LEARNING OUTCOMES ................................................................................................................. 8 
Knowledge Evidence ..................................................................................................................... 8 
WORK HEALTH AND SAFETY PROCEDURES ............................................................................. 9 
Manual Handling ........................................................................................................................... 9 
Infection Control Procedures ....................................................................................................... 10 
LINEN AND INFECTION CONTROL ............................................................................................. 11 
Sharps Injuries When Handling Linen ......................................................................................... 11 
Cleaning a Bed and its Equipment .............................................................................................. 12 
Cleaning Procedures ................................................................................................................... 12 
TYPES OF EQUIPMENT AND BEDS ............................................................................................ 13 
Mattresses ................................................................................................................................... 14 
Other Equipment ......................................................................................................................... 15 
Reporting Faults .......................................................................................................................... 15 
TYPES OF BED LINEN .................................................................................................................. 16 
Linen Shortages .......................................................................................................................... 16 
Stripping a Bed ............................................................................................................................ 16 
Bed Making Procedures for a New Client ................................................................................... 16 
Creating Hospital Corners ....................................................................................................... 17 
CONFIDENTIALITY AND PRIVACY .............................................................................................. 20 
The Principle of Confidentiality and Privacy ................................................................................ 20 
Conserving Privacy and Dignity During Bed Making ................................................................... 20 
BIBLIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................................ 21 
ASSIGNMENT 1 ............................................................................................................................. 22 
Questionnaire .............................................................................................................................. 22 
ASSIGNMENT 2 ............................................................................................................................. 23 
Activity 1 ...................................................................................................................................... 23 
Activity 2 ...................................................................................................................................... 23 
Activity 3 ...................................................................................................................................... 24 
Activity 4 ...................................................................................................................................... 24 
Activity 5 ...................................................................................................................................... 25 
Activity 6 ...................................................................................................................................... 25 
Activity 7 ...................................................................................................................................... 25 
Activity 8 ...................................................................................................................................... 25 
Activity 9 ...................................................................................................................................... 26 
Activity 10 .................................................................................................................................... 26 
STUDENT DECLARATION ............................................................................................................ 27 
ASSIGNMENT OUTCOME ............................................................................................................. 28 
CHCCCS012 PREPARE AND MAINTAIN BEDS

INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS

This learning guide will assist you in developing skills and knowledge to work effectively in the health
industry and to apply these skills to your workplace and daily tasks.

Training

Competence means that you have the required knowledge and skills to do your job. These are
described in ‘competency standards’. Your training will be based on these to make sure it is relevant
to the needs of your job and yourself.

The purpose of the training is to develop your workplace competence, so you will be expected to
practise your skills whenever you can. This can be done through work experience, practical sessions
in a training organisation or through your full time or part-time job. It is important that you have both
theoretical and practical skills and knowledge.

On and Off-the-Job Training

Your training may consist of on-the-job coaching with your workplace supervisor and/or trainer on a
one-to-one or small group basis. It may also involve formal training sessions conducted off-the-job
in addition to working through your learning guide. Make sure you ask lots of questions, complete
the activities.

If you do not understand any part of the unit, please contact your Trainer.

Assessment

Once you have completed your training and practised your skills, you will be ready to have your skills
and knowledge assessed. The purpose of this is not to see if you can pass a test but to determine if
you can perform work tasks competently.

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 CHCCCS012 PREPARE AND MAINTAIN BEDS
Tips for Students

Read through the information in the learning guide carefully. Make sure you understand the material.
If you come across anything you do not understand:

• Discuss your training with your trainer and make sure you understand what is required and how
the training will be organised.
• Ask for feedback on your progress as you work through the activities.
• Ask for help when you need it. Talk to more experienced colleagues or your trainer and ask for
their guidance.
• Listen, take notes, ask questions and practise your new skills as often as possible. This way you
will improve your speed, memory, and also your confidence.
• During your training, you should seek other sources of information as well; e.g. reference books,
the internet.
• Try to relate the information presented in this learning guide to your own experiences and to what
you already know.
• Work through the activities. They are there for a reason and even if you already have the
knowledge or skills relating to a particular activity, doing them will help to reinforce what you
already know. If you do not understand an activity, think carefully about the way the question or
instructions are phrased.

Students are to read through the learning guide and work through the
assignments.
NOTE: after completing the assignments read and sign the Student
Declaration before submitting.

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CHCCCS012 PREPARE AND MAINTAIN BEDS

INTRODUCTION
This unit is provided as a collective unit for health support workers who have a multi-functional role
within a heath care facility but can also be adapted for workers who have a more specific support
role in relation to providing quality health care services.

It covers the skills and knowledge which you need to apply when cleaning and making a range of
beds to ensure that a client can safely occupy the bed.

In reading through the learning guide you may well come across information and tasks that are not
your everyday responsibility. However, by completing this unit you will gain a better understanding
of your role and responsibilities in a health care setting and thereby improve your existing skills and
knowledge in your current work role.

In this unit examples are given from Western Australian legislation. Each
State and Territory has adapted legislation according to their needs and
requirements.
To look at legislation that governs your State or Territory go to:
Australian Government website www.australia.gov.au/Legislation

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 CHCCCS012 PREPARE AND MAINTAIN BEDS

LEARNING OUTCOMES
This learning guide will provide you with information that will assist in your learning and development
of effective skills and work standards for preparing beds the health care environment.

Completing this work book aims to provide you with a greater understanding of the principles and
techniques associated with:

• Preparing a bed area for bed making.

• The legislation, policies and procedures for maintaining beds.
• The steps necessary to make a bed in a health care facility.
• How you should leave a bed ready for occupancy or continued occupancy.

In order to be competent in this unit you will be able to:

• Adhere to all infection control policies and procedures when maintaining beds.
• Apply work health and safety legislation in all aspects of the task.
• Handle clinical waste and soiled linen appropriately.
• Have the ability to communicate with the client and preserve their privacy and dignity.
• Conserve linen when appropriate.
• Make a bed according to your organisation’s policy and procedure leaving it ready for occupancy
or continued occupancy.
• Follow organisational policy and procedure for dealing with damaged or faulty beds, equipment
or linen.

Knowledge Evidence

This learning guide provides you with the knowledge required of this unit.

The unit of competency requires you to demonstrate the essential knowledge required to effectively
complete tasks outlined in elements and performance criteria of this unit (to see the complete unit
refer to your Record Book). Manage tasks and manage contingencies in the context of the work role.

• Bed linen items.

• Organisation policies and procedures including:
- Bed cleaning.
- Safe handling of soiled linen.
- Hygiene.
- Infection control.
- Personal protective equipment.
- Work health and safety, including processes for controlling for manual task risk factors.
• Clinical waste disposal, including waste minimisation, environmental responsibility and
sustainable practice issues.

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CHCCCS012 PREPARE AND MAINTAIN BEDS

WORK HEALTH AND SAFETY PROCEDURES

As a health support worker working in a health care facility you must ensure that you work within
work safety and health legislation and your organisation’s policy and procedures in the preparation
and maintenance of beds and should be aware of the need to follow safe manual handling practices
and techniques. You will also need to adopt organisational and infection control procedures including
the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) while completing the task.

Manual Handling

Preparing and maintaining beds can result in you adopting sustained and constrained postures.
Therefore; you should adopt a variety of comfortable working positions, without any one posture
being awkward, prolonged or repetitive. Your organisation should provide beds which allow you to
perform your tasks easily. The beds should have lockable castors on all legs operated by a single
control with indication of locked position. There should be sufficient access for the operation of brake
control. They should also have considered lightweight adjustable cot sides which allow sufficient
clearance when lowered for client handling equipment and clear access to the mattress for bed
making.

After you have completed the bed making, the bed should be returned to an acceptable height for
the client. In long term stay wards the height that the client’s bed is returned to, may be marked on
the wall

The use of appropriate equipment for preparing and maintaining beds will greatly help you perform
the task. Cleaning equipment should be placed on a trolley so that it can be easily moved within the
bed space. A linen skip should be placed close to the bed whilst stripping soiled linen to minimise
your handling of it. You should separate each linen item before it is placed into the skip to avoid
injuries to those involved its processing.

Manual handling points to remember when preparing and maintaining beds.

• Clear the bed and surrounding area of medical and other equipment to allow access to carry out
the task. Return them to the correct location.
• Always adjust the height of the bed to ensure that you are working from a comfortable height.
The height should be between your mid-thigh and hip. After you have finished the task lower the
bed to a suitable height for the client.
• If you work in teams, ideally work with someone of a similar height. If you are unable to do this
choose a height that suits you both.

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 CHCCCS012 PREPARE AND MAINTAIN BEDS
• Ensure the mattress is flat when you are cleaning the surface.
• When cleaning the underside of the mattress, clean it in two halves by folding it towards the
middle from the top and bottom of the bed.
• Raise the bed to its highest level when cleaning underneath.
• Unless you are moving the bed, the brakes should always be applied.
• Always have all your equipment (e.g. cleaning trolley, linen skip) close to hand when you are
preparing and maintaining a bed.
• Linen skips should only be two-thirds filled to ensure ease of closing and to reduce the weight.
However, if the linen is wet then the volume in the bag will need to be reduced.

Infection Control Procedures

The health support worker must follow all policies and procedures within their organisation regarding
infection control. These procedures are also monitored by the Infection Control Unit or a designated
infection control professional. The procedures will include standard or additional precautions and
you should be aware of which precautions you should be using before you start.

In today’s economic climate, concerns about water consumption and energy usage have led to
changes in policy. Some health care facilities require that only soiled linen be changed if the same
client will be using the bed. Obviously soiled or contaminated linen must be replaced.

In most cases you will need to follow standard precautions when cleaning the bed. These are work
practices which are required for the basic level of infection control and need to be used for the
general care of all clients.

They include:
• Good hygiene and cleaning practices.
• The use of PPE where necessary.
• Appropriate handling and disposal of sharps and other contaminated or infectious waste.
• Use of aseptic techniques.

There will be occasions when you will be directed to use additional precautions. These are necessary
if a client is suspected of being or known to be, infected with highly transmissible organisms. These
precautions are designed to interrupt further transmission of infection and are used in addition to
standard precautions.

In practice this may mean:

• Use additional personal protective equipment.
• Use dedicated equipment that will be cleaned or discarded after use; e.g. a linen skip
• The addition of stronger chemical solutions used with specific cleaning procedures.
• Removal of the surrounding drapes or curtains for cleaning.
• Disposing of waste/linen into designated bags or containers.

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CHCCCS012 PREPARE AND MAINTAIN BEDS
Activity 3

a. List the types of beds are you asked to prepare in your workplace. (Minimum of three)

b. Where in your workplace are they used?

c. Choose one bed from your list and explain why this particular bed is used.

Activity 4

List three ways you can conserve the privacy and dignity of clients when making their beds.

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