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Copyright © 2011 by Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Skill Checklists for Taylor's Clinical Nursing Skills:
Skill Checklists for Taylor's Clinical Nursing Skills:
A Nursing Process Approach, 3rd edition
Name Date
Unit Position
Instructor/Evaluator: Position
SKILL 9-6
Providing Range-of-Motion Exercises
Goal:The patient maintains joint mobility. Comments
- Review the physician’s orders and nursing plan of care for
patient activity. Identify any movement limitations. - Perform hand hygiene and put on PPE, if indicated.
- Identify the patient. Explain the procedure to the patient.
- Close curtains around bed and close the door to the room,
if possible. Place the bed at an appropriate and comfortable
working height, usually elbow height of the caregiver (VISN
8 Patient Safety Center, 2009). Adjust the head of the bed to
a flat position or as low as the patient can tolerate. - Stand on the side of the bed where the joints are to be
exercised. Lower side rail on that side, if in place. Uncover
only the limb to be used during the exercise. - Perform the exercises slowly and gently, providing support
by holding the areas proximal and distal to the joint.
Repeat each exercise two to five times, moving each joint
in a smooth and rhythmic manner. Stop movement if the
patient complains of pain or if you meet resistance. - While performing the exercises, begin at the head and
move down one side of the body at a time. Encourage the
patient to do as many of these exercises by him- or herself
as possible. - Move the chin down to rest on the chest. Return the head
to a normal upright position. Tilt the head as far as possi-
ble toward each shoulder. - Move the head from side to side, bringing the chin toward
each shoulder. - Start with the arm at the patient’s side and lift the arm for-
ward to above the head. Return the arm to the starting
position at the side of the body. - With the arm back at the patient’s side, move the arm lat-
erally to an upright position above the head, and then
return it to the original position. Move the arm across the
body as far as possible.
ExcellentSatisfactoryNeeds Practice