A patient's bed is positioned high for easier patient transfers. Before leaving the bedside, what is an important safety measure?

Question

Accepted Answer

Lower the bed to its lowest position and raise the side rails. Lowering the bed to its lowest position and raising the side rails significantly reduces fall risk if a patient attempts to get out of bed unassisted. A high bed increases injury risk from falls (A). Asking the patient's preference (C) is not appropriate when safety is the priority. Leaving one rail down (D) defeats the purpose of fall prevention. Standard CNA practice requires beds to be in the lowest position and side rails up when a patient is unattended.