Basic neccessities...

Nurses General Nursing

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Do you guys know if having hot running water on the unit is required by JCAHO?

Specializes in Corrections, Psych, Med-Surg.

Just when I think I've heard everything....

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I cannot belive that...can you just imagine what the body temperature of those poor little babies goes down to? Expecially the premies or skinny ones with no body fat...I can't believe it...

Amanda :)

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And just a question...why would you need to put sterile water in the warmer? Nothing wrong with the tap water, it's what's used to bathe them anyway...

Amanda :)

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Ooh man that is very trifling let those powers that be wash their ass in cold water to see how it feels. Thank goodness it is not an issue where I work. :-(

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I'd say screw calling the people who won't show up in a decent amount of time (JACHO, DOH)...I'd call Children's Services...as nurses we are mandatory reporters, if a baby in home care was being bathed with less than warm water we would have to call, it is neglect.

Then I'd drop an anonomous dime to a newspaper that hospital X has been reported to CSD.

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What an awful situation your hospital puts you all in with no hot water....come on now....does any of the hospital have hot water???? Dont patients complain about it? What about the parents who have to watch their poor new born baby being bathed in freezing water...... way to cause some newborn stress there... ugh... I would not work in such conditions...speak up...you all should start a petition and say if isnt fixed you all will go to the state, and who ever else it takes......... that is for patient safety.... geez!

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How are you supposed to warm those little tykes up after a cold bath. Ours can't come off the warmer untill they are 36.8

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Specializes in NICU.

For clarity, let me update you. First of all, I never said that I bathed ANY patient in cold water, EVER. Because of the lack of hot water from the taps, our unit was left to take bottles of sterile water and use the microwave to warm it up BEFORE bathing. Since I originally posted this, we now have lukewarm water (hey, it's an improvement!) and we use the blanket warmer to warm as many bottles of water as we can cram inside. Let me reiterate here that I have NEVER and WOULD NEVER use cold water to bathe someone. I re-read some of the posts and that seemed to be the impression that some people had. ;.)

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I Use the sterile water because it does not tend to spill in the warmer and is just enough for a nice sponge bath. I guess it is not necessary, but it cuts time and hey, TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE RIGHT?

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

I Use the sterile water because it does not tend to spill in the warmer and is just enough for a nice sponge bath. I guess it is not necessary, but it cuts time and hey, TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE RIGHT? OH and where I work, we have HOT water so it's not an issue usually. Just in case the hot water heater is temporarily out...which happens rarely. It's just a contingency thing, ya know?

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thank you for the update kristi. my concern was for babies not under your care. i was upset that ANY baby may have to be subjected to this.

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