Bedsides

Bedsides is the plural form of bedside and can refer to the area beside a bed or to furniture placed there, depending on the context. In domestic settings, bedsides commonly denote bedside tables or nightstands—compact storage and surface units placed on one or both sides of a bed. They are typically around 24 inches high to align with the mattress top and may include drawers, shelves, or cabinets. Common items placed on bedsides include lamps, alarm clocks, water, tissues, books, and electronic devices. Materials range from wood and engineered wood to metal and glass, with designs spanning traditional to contemporary styles.

In a medical context, bedsides describe the vicinity around a patient’s bed or the equipment and furniture used there. Bedside tables, rails, monitors, and IV poles are part of the bedside environment to support care and safety. The term appears in phrases such as bedside rounds, bedside monitoring, and care conducted at the bedside. Maintaining a clean and organized bedside is an element of patient safety, infection control, and efficient workflow, with emphasis on hand hygiene, surface disinfection, and proper storage of supplies.

Terminology and usage: while bedside is a common compound noun, bedsides can refer to multiple bedside areas or to multiple bedside tables. In everyday language, the term bedside table or nightstand is more common for homes, whereas in healthcare the bedside encompasses both the patient’s surroundings and the care performed there.

See also: bedside table, nightstand, bedside manner, bedside rounds, hospital ward.