[blueheaven]

Originally Posted by deeDawntee

HeHe,
This thread makes me laugh. I love having my patient, the bed and the room look great and do a lot of what has been mentioned here. I really like the idea of buying my own body washes with good smells. Great idea.
What makes me laugh is that I have been in the ICU for over a year and when I started I thought the nurses were all neurotic and I would never become one of those "sheet nazis"!!! But here I am as particular as anyone!!! It makes SUCH a difference. Especially having the lines and pumps perfect and labeled and untangled. Some nurses don't give a damn and it drives me NUTS!!! I would rather bang my head on the wall than to leave a room as bad as some nurses do!!! Anyway, great conversation here, I love it.

I'm a "line and tube nazi" just as you are. I despise spaghetti!!! Get a pt back form the OR and Lord only knows what is running where, and what is plugged into what!

[blueheaven]

I also bring my own bath wash and razors. I can't stand a patient with 3 day stubble and stinky!! Some nurses just don't care and always leave a mess.

I wouldn't mind having any of you for my nurse if I was sick

[truern]

Another great product is Summers Eve Powder...believe it or not. A sprinkle on the sheets and they kinda slip with the patient instead of bunching up under them. Since it's designed for a sensitive body area chances are most people won't be allergic.

I LOVE to use shave cream in the bath water...especially with the men. I just can't stomach stank

[jjjeep4]

wow.....my first post!!
I have been in icu about 20 plus years...and have always made it a point to give thorough cares.....(when I am sick, I want a hot shower, clean sheets, teeth brushed,cool and dark room....)soooo....

I integrate a full bath with my assessment....including almost daily hairwash....real brushing of teeth....shaving......linen change....

hairwashing can be done on virtually any icu patient in less than 3 minutes without even getting the bed wet....there is no (no!) excuse for not doing it at least every other day....

I have had patients cry with thankfulness when I wash their hair/give them the salon tx.........(sometimes, there is not much else that I can do for them.....ie ......mult pressors....trauma etc.....that makes them more comfortable...)

a warm bath....integrated and seamless assessment....medicate if possible....

the results??...improved vitals.....pt now more willing to do whatever you ask of them throughout the day....improved pulm toilet....improved rom....thorough cares does as much physically for most patients as about 4 mg of morphine.....pt is more rested....families are more rested...nurse is more rested...(ha!)...

I also do an abreviated total care midway thru the shift.....(as well as prn).....

it is just kind......it only adds about 5-10 minutes to my assessment....and the results are substantial.........

best of luck!.....J.

[danamobile]

when i bathe someone, i expect to completely SOAK the bed, along with filling up the basin about 3-4 times. honest! be liberal! get the limbs and trunk scrubbed down and dried, and then for pericare, just dumped drenched soapy cloths in and give a good scrub. i find that the patients are much cleaner with a bed 'bath' hehe. also, when i turn my patients every two hours, i wash their back and bum and reapply lotion to the backside, and try to give pericare in the front at least every 4 hours. we are not allowed to use any other bath product except for the chlorhexidine wash (to decrease MRSA) and babypowder is outlawed due to increasing allergies, so soap is all we got! also, vaseline to the lips and gel to the mouth durying mouthcare and to the nose helps, and keeping a towel near the face so i can frequently wipe the side of the mouth/eyes when they're wet. good care is much easier when you start organized from the beginning! i give my patient really good mouthcare as the end of my initial assessment! my patient reflects my care so it must begin at the start

[oneillk1]

Originally Posted by cvicugirl

Calvin&Hobbes,
Mind if I print out a thousand copies of your post? I'd like to wallpaper our break room with it! I add a sprinkling of baby powder to their backs and sheets if it isn't contraindicated and always make sure that the closed ends of the pillowcases are facing the door. Changing ET and NG tube tapes also makes a big difference. As for washing hair: I have used wet, warm, soapy washcloths with many a collared bloody head trauma. Wrap the hair with a warm soapy washcloths ahead of time to soften up the dried blood. If it is really bad, tuck a thick garbage bag under the head and shoulders, put the bed flat and use warm soapy water poured from a clean urinal. You'll be standing at the head of the bed (think intubation position!) If you put a bottle of mouth wash in the final rinse, it gets rid of the old blood smell. Cover the central line with a thick towel, but expect to change it after anyways.

Thank you so much for this, our unit protocol says hair wash MINIMUM of weekly, but whenever I ask my colleagues how to do it, the standard answer is 'oh don't worry about that". It just seems like not something that is worth bothering the educator about, but so far I haven't got my head around the logistics of vent, lines, water, bed....

[niki_m787]

Originally Posted by jjjeep4

wow.....my first post!!

.....hairwashing can be done on virtually any icu patient in less than 3 minutes without even getting the bed wet....there is no (no!) excuse for not doing it at least every other day....

Please enlighten us!

[kriso63]

I am so glad to hear that people are still using soap and water out there. Seems like everytime I suggest it I get the "are you crazy or what" look. Followed by the "bath in a bag works just fine". I really dislike those things. Nothing beats a good old fashioned soap and water bath.

[Diary/Dairy]

Amen Kris, nothing beats soap and water for actually getting people clean.