Measuring the Weight and Height of a Supine Patient

• Rinse your hands properly with antiseptic soap and lukewarm water.
• You will require one more person / CNA to help you in measuring height and weight of the patient. S/he too must wash his hands before coming in contact with the patient.
• The raised portion of the bed must be lowered so that it becomes parallel to the floor. You must position the patient on the bath blanket and roll him towards one side of the bed. Place the bed scale pad below the patient.
• You must mark the bottom of his/her feet and head over the bath blanket. These two marks will be used to measure his/her height.
• Gauge the weight of the patient as per the readings over the bed scale.
• Remove the bed scale and bath blanket after you are done with measurements. Make the patient lie down in a comfortable position.
• Determine the distance in between two marks on the bath blanket, to measure the height of the patient.
• Wash your hands properly after you are done with your measurement.

A sudden change in the patient’s weight (increase / decrease) may indicate a serious medical condition. If the patient’s current weight deviates from the ideal weight, then you must immediately inform the supervisor nurse or doctor.

Find out the patient’s BMI (Body Mass Index). Take help from a nurse in case you don’t know how to find it out.

The examiner awards you marks on the basis of the following observations:

While measuring and recording the patient’s height

• Whether you wash your hands before starting off with the activity.
• Whether you measure the height correctly.

For measuring and recording the height of the patient who is strong enough to stand up

• Whether you use an appropriate measurement tool.
• Before measuring height, if you direct the patient to take off his/her shoes and stand straight.
• If you record the height in the measurable value and it matches with the value taken by the examiner.
• If you place paper towels on the platform (in case they are required).
• Whether you take the measurement of the patient accurately.

For measuring and recording the height of the patient, when s/he is not capable of standing

• It will be observed whether you help the patient (in lying) to roll to one side of the bed.
• If you employ appropriate instrument to measure the height appropriately.
• Whether you read the dimensions of the height correctly and convert it correctly.
• If you provide support to the patient so as to make him/her comfortable.

• Wash your hands before coming close to the patient.
• Balance the measuring scale at zero.

For measuring and recording the weight of the patient who is strong enough to stand up

• Place paper towel on the weight measuring platform.
• Make the patient stand on the platform without footwear.
• Read and record the weight.
• Assist the patient to step down of the weight measuring scale.

For measuring and recording the height of the patient, when s/he is not capable of standing

• Sanitize the wheelchair or bed scale as described by the healthcare facility.
• Assist the patient in shifting on wheelchair or bed scale.
• Measure the weight and record your findings.
• Assist the patient to step off the wheelchair / bed scale.
• Make the patient comfortable over bed.
• Wash your hands properly after the complete procedure.

• A small deviation in the patient’s weight must be taken seriously, as it may be an indication of any critical medical condition. Thus, inform the nurse immediately.
• Estimate the Body Mass Index (BMI) of the patient and keep record of it.
• Take help from fellow CNA in measuring the height and weight accurately.