A safe electric medical bed for an acute inpatient behavioral health care setting

The purpose of this article is to describe the process of developing a safe electric bed for a traditional acute care adult behavioral health inpatient unit. Many articles and studies exist related to creating a safe environment on acute care psychiatric units, but very few address the use of electric hospital beds. The process of adapting a traditional electric bed for inpatient use by the nursing management team of the Behavioral Health Service at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics is described, including specific safety features in the prototype bed. Policy changes during implementation and safety data after 12 months of bed use on the units are also presented. Results indicate that traditional electric hospital beds can be safely adapted for use on traditional acute care psychiatric units.