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Nursing vocabulary · Basic Care and Mobility

Bedpan

Meaning in nursing, with examples

/ˈbɛdpæn/nounCore term

In nursing, bedpan means: A flat container that a patient who cannot get out of bed sits on to pass urine or open their bowels.

In Turkish: sürgü, yatak lazımlığı

How it is used

Nurses offer, give, remove and empty bedpans and record the output when needed. A container that men pass urine into is a 'urinal' (or 'bottle' in the UK). A 'commode' is a chair with a pan under the seat. Nurses ask politely: 'Would you like a bedpan?'

Example sentences

  1. Can I have a bedpan, please? I can't make it to the toilet.

  2. She used the bedpan at 6 a.m.; I've recorded the output on the fluid chart.

Common collocations

  • offer a bedpan
  • put someone on a bedpan
  • empty a bedpan
  • bedpan washer
  • urinary catheterA thin, flexible tube passed into the bladder, usually through the urethra, to drain urine into a bag.
  • incontinenceBeing unable to control when urine or faeces leave the body, so that leaks happen without the person meaning them to.
  • personal careHelp with the everyday tasks of looking after the body, such as washing, dressing, using the toilet, mouth care and shaving.
  • fluid balanceThe difference between all the fluid a patient takes in (drinks, drips, feeds) and all the fluid they lose (urine, vomit, drains) over a set time.

More terms: Basic Care and Mobility

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.