Kentucky Certified Nurse Aide (CNA) Practice Test

Bed rails are used for fall prevention only when a risk assessment supports their use and the facility’s policy allows it. When a resident is at risk for falling due to confusion, mobility issues, or recent medication changes, rails can help keep them from rolling out of bed. The decision should come from the care plan after weighing benefits against risks, and rails must be implemented safely—lowered to an appropriate height, with the appropriate number of rails, and with ongoing monitoring for entrapment or skin irritation. It’s also important to keep the call bell within reach and to reassess the need regularly, adjusting the approach if the resident’s condition or safety needs change. They are not decorative, not automatically required for every resident, and not something used without assessment and policy.