Due to some on-going family issues, an open opportunity, and a clear need, I'm changing shifts at my job. Right now, I'm working 2nd shift but will be changing to 1st shift at the beginning of October to become a shower aide.

I've had some practice with giving residents showers; obviously, that was part of my training in clinicals and there have been times on 2nd shift that I've had to give showers to residents. However, I've not done a solid 8 hour shift of showers.

Those of you who have been shower aides, how do you streamline your shift? Do you have a certain routine you do with your showers in order to get them done by the end of your shift? I'll be getting a couple of days training before they put me out there on my own but I'd love any tips I could incorporate into my own routine to make things go faster while still making sure my residents are clean and presentable.

Roll up your pants and stock the shower room with supplies?

Occasionally we have a shower aide and sometimes I get it. In some ways it's nice (you don't have to deal with coworkers and you don't have to compete with anyone for the use of the shower) and in other ways it sucks (the shower room gets hot and muggy fast).

When we have a shower aide I usually get the person up, change the bed, and put their clothes and towels and stuff in a bag at the foot of the bed, to make it easier for the shower aide. No one else does that though, so when I'm on showers instead of helping feed breakfast I go around and do that for myself instead, or I at least throw all the stuff I need in their chair.

Well, I survived my first day as a shower aide and it was certainly interesting. We usually have two shower aides but the other lady has been out for a month with a knee injury. Her doctor released her for work but PT won't because she can't squat for 2 minutes. That left me as the only shower aide today no guidance and no idea what I was doing. However, it wasn't terribly bad. I managed to get about 9 showers in. My only frustration was the resident who decided she wanted a whirlpool bath at 1 p.m.; I'm scheduled to get off at 2 p.m. and it takes a total accumulation of 30 minutes just to get her into a wheelchair and transferred to the whirlpool bath chair. I was a little perturbed about that. I get why people don't like doing showers; it's hot, sweaty, residents get picky, residents refuse, etc. but I've been so burnt out dealing with the ridiculous behaviors of residents on my old shift that I really need this break for a while.

I've been called on a few times lately to do showers. Somehow our shower aides have been missing a resident or two here and there. Did one tonight, as a matter of fact. Wasn't too bad. I wish the shower aides would get to all the residents, but I understand that they can't always get everyone. We do have an awfully ambitious shower schedule.

I wish you the best of luck with being a shower aide. It's not a job I would particularly want.

I survived the first week of being a shower aide and it's been ok though my back really hurts today. It's hard to get them all done when there are 15 residents scheduled for showers and some take upwards of 40 minutes. I feel like I'm getting into a routine with it and already have plans to tweak how I do some things in order to make it go easier and faster. The other shower aide and I are going to sit down and work over the shower schedule again in order to spread out our work load a little more. For instance, we have three residents who are down to be showered every day of the week; two of those three don't want showers that frequently. We don't really know who wrote it out that way unless the family spoke for the residents without asking their loved one his or her opinion.