Lateral (side-lying) position with pillows supporting head, back, top arm, and between knees is used to:

Explanation

Lateral position with appropriate pillow support relieves sacral/heel pressure (alternative to supine in the q2h turning schedule), maintains spinal alignment, and prevents hip adduction (pillow between knees) and shoulder compression (top arm pillow). Bad positioning without supports increases trochanter pressure and shoulder strain. Distractors (b, c, d) describe harms that proper technique prevents. Always check skin at pressure points each turn.