Home care dilemma: pt and family refusing hospital bed

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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I started a new case on Saturday.

This 90year old gentleman is bowel and bladder incontinent and wearing a cervical collar 24 hr a day due to a neck fracture. He spends most of the time in bed in supine position. I feel I can't provide appropriate care such as positioning, and hygiene due to his being in a queen size bed. I'm also concerned about his skin and oral health and that his cervical collar pushes out of position due to his being supine. To me it's a disaster in the making and I don't want to be part of it.

I called my agency on Saturday and emailed them yesterday regarding the hospital bed and my concerns for this client.

It is also uncomfortable for me to climb on/in his bed to work with him, and I don't want to compromise my back.

Aside from my back issues do you think my concerns are valid regarding this client?

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It is up to you what you will tolerate and what you don't want to tolerate. I hurt my back with a patient where the mother refused to use a hospital bed. She was quite offended that nurses left the case because her child was too heavy and the nurses could not navigate the bed. I was too much in need of work to leave, so I hurt my back and didn't tell my agency so that they wouldn't keep me from working. It is your back.

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It is up to you what you will tolerate and what you don't want to tolerate. I hurt my back with a patient where the mother refused to use a hospital bed. She was quite offended that nurses left the case because her child was too heavy and the nurses could not navigate the bed. I was too much in need of work to leave, so I hurt my back and didn't tell my agency so that they wouldn't keep me from working. It is your back.

Do you think my concerns for the patient are reasonable, or am I being overly concerned?

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I think you are being reasonable, but it is up to the family to push for the hospital bed. They probably do not want to be bothered.

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I have tried to practice some cna skills with my husband on our queen bed and it is nearly impossible. To have to do it with a pt on a daily basis. . . you have to do what you have to do, but if there are other pts and you can pass this one by, do so. My $.02

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Thanks Cali and Student.

My agency backed me up and the bed will be delivered on Friday. As it turned out the day caregiver felt as strongly as I did about the bed. We were both ready to ask for reassignment, but for now that won't be necessary.

I appreciate your input

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Glad to read that this issue was favorably resolved.

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