ProNurse

I hate bedpans, and personally, if I was a patient, I would rather drag myself across a ward to the toilet than use one!

However, off the top of my head:

 - More hygenic / easier to clean - Plastic moulding leaves burr-lines, perfect for getting yuck stuck in. As does moulded text.

 - Spill protection! It's incredibly undignified using a bedpan anyway, let alone when it ends up all in your bed.

 - Some way of ensuring the patient doesn't end up just sitting in their own 'product'

I like the bed pans that come with the disposable papermache' inlays as this does provide in some way cleanliness and protection from the actual bedpan which as stated is hard to clean.

I find the deep bed pans very hard to get under patients that are unable to raise there bottoms and have been told they are very uncomfortable as if the patient is lying down it is forcing them to arch their backs which also causes them to wriggle and accidents can happen

The smaller, thinner bedpans are easier to slide but leave the patient wet as they are literally sitting in their own urine and faeces and can overspill as are not very deep..  but I would also pick this one up over a deep one any day due to the comfort factor and ease of use. Some of them slope down at the back so they don't stick into the user.

The bed pans that are smooth plastic with no breaks, joins, etc are the easiest to clean, trying to clean under the rolled edges etc.. nightmare and its not only ontop for the patient but the bottom is on the patients bed.. sometimes I think the makers forget about that.

As for improvements... maybe a top section which held them above the base of the bedpan so they are not literally sitting in it, this would also prevent the the sides digging in to the patients as they often do and may help with positioning if the surface was smooth.. lol but then the patient may just slip off it ? I hate bed pans but rather them than a pad.