Every two hours
When Did “Turn Every Two Hours” Become the Standard? If you’ve ever spent time in a hospital or nursing home, you’ve probably heard it. “Turn every two hours.” It’s one of the best-known “rules” in healthcare. But have you ever wondered… Where did it come from? I did. And what I discovered surprised me. The practice became widely adopted in the 1940s and 1950s , particularly after World War II as specialized spinal cord injury centers began developing better ways to prevent pressure injuries. Frequent repositioning clearly helped. Over time, two hours became a practical schedule. It was easy to teach. Easy to remember. Easy to document. Eventually, it became the standard. But here’s what’s interesting. Researchers who later looked back at the history found that no one has identified strong scientific evidence that exactly two hours is the ideal interval for every person. In fact, one historical review noted an anecdotal explanation that the two-hour interval may...
