How to give a bed bath
Other platforms explain it with text and video. In VMS you practice it on the patient.
A bed bath is also a full skin assessment.
Step by step
Prepare
Privacy, warm room, water about body warm, supplies ready. [1]
Expose one area at a time
Keep the rest covered. [1]
Eyes first
Water only, inner to outer corner, a clean part of the cloth each time. [1]
Clean to dirty
Face, arms, chest, abdomen, legs, back, perineal area last. [1]
Check skin
Pressure points, redness, breakdown. [1]
Dry well
Skin folds, between toes; lotion as needed. [1]
Common errors
- Soap in the eyes.
- Leaving the patient exposed.
- Wet skin folds.
Practice it in VMS
In VMS you do this on the patient, not on paper: every step goes on the checklist with a score, and in Teach mode Blocky tells you what comes next.
VMS cases that train this skill
Sources
- Open RN, Nursing Fundamentals 2e (CC BY 4.0)
- Open RN, Nursing Skills 2e (Chippewa Valley Technical College) (CC BY 4.0)
- OpenStax, Clinical Nursing Skills (CC BY 4.0)
Steps adapted from Open RN, Nursing Skills 2e (Chippewa Valley Technical College) and OpenStax, Clinical Nursing Skills, licensed under CC BY 4.0. VMS is not affiliated with these organizations. Updated: 2026-10-11.