do you make sure your pts

Nurses General Nursing

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Hello fellow nurses;-)

my DH and I went to visit his mother in the hosp today...this was her 2nd day, dx dehydration. she is pleasant late 80s with pretty severe dementia. Very nice hospital, quiet,,,no one rushing around...(not like the hospital I use to work at;-) staff at desk talking amongst each other.. anyway, MIL with crust all around her lips, mouth very dry, hence the crust(no swabs around) eyes crusty, hair not brushed and has matted(she has never looked like that.EVER.)it was a somewhat of a shock for my DH to see her like that.. her heels right on the bed(not propped on a pillow)so the heels do not break down....this was at about 5pm. My husband was so angry..he said if they all have time to stand around and talk why hasn't someone cleaned her up?

Anyway..I do not want to bash any other HCP, but i do see his point..we were both just so exhausted, when her nurse strolled over to the room from the front desk we didnt even ask why she wasnt cleaned up..I just did it and was happy to do it for my dear MIL. I know when i was tons busy, running my butt off I still made sure either myself or the aide did the care...hair brushed, face washed off, mouth care(esp. with dementia pt who didnt drink much, would go in and swab their mouths...constant rounds on the floor, esp. when things were quiet..time to catch up and whoever needed some things..got them.

So fellow nurses, my question..do you make sure your aides(if you have them)or you, yourself, make sure your pts are getting at least some minimal grooming done? Thanks.

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Specializes in LTC, Nursing Management, WCC.

You betcha I do!! Why didn't you pull the nurse aside and ask her professionally?? I don't see anything wrong with it.

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You bet!!! I spent 5 days in ICU/Med surge as a patient and got no help with grooming so I know how it feels. This sort of lack of care is inexcusable. The nurse should be reprimanded.

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Specializes in Critical Care, Capacity/Bed Management.

It really depends on the nurse/tech, I personally leave my patients as I would hope to receive them, that includes washing hair, combing hair, cleaning eye gunk, brushing teeth, little vaseline on lips... it goes a long way and does not take too long.

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I generally leave my patients floating in a pool of poo. I like to give other nurses a chance to feel morally superior. I feel it's my gift to the nursing community.

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Specializes in DOU.

I generally hope for the best on days when I have a team of 6-8 total care patients on a floor with 2 CNAs for 18 patients. Yes, the CNAs know they are supposed to do it, and I do it myself when I can, but seriously: since I KNOW what it's like to work in a hospital, I wouldn't leave it up to the nursing staff to handle if my family member were the patient. I know there just aren't enough people around to give the kind of care I would want them to have.

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Specializes in LTC Rehab Med/Surg.
I generally leave my patients floating in a pool of poo. I like to give other nurses a chance to feel morally superior. I feel it's my gift to the nursing community.

I have enjoyed all your posts this evening. Especially this one.:lol2:

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Specializes in Public Health, TB.

I would love to have more time to comb out someone's hair, to work side by side with my aides to be sure they understand to importance of pressure relief and oral care.

But I am often at the desk, phoning docs for orders to turn off IV fluids on my CHFer with the BNP of 900 or to tell him/her the 3 units of regular they ordered for a blood sugar of 300 didn't do squat.

I have to check every order put in by my UC to be sure the correct tests are ordered.

I have to fax pharmacy over and over because the wrong dose or med is entered.

And I have to field all the phone calls from Mama's neighbor's third cousin sister-in-law who has the internet and wants all her test results.

I am sorry that the OP's loved one didn't get the care they deserved. If she was at my hospital,I was not talking to my co-workers at the desk, I was banging my head on it.

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Specializes in New PACU RN.

Honestly - some days I consider it a good day if my pts are still medically stable when I leave them.

I feel terrible at the state they are in - but there is only one of me and 4-6 acutely sick of them and I do more work than I should as a nurse anyway (check with and make sure that the docs, pharmacy, kitchen, OT, PT, SLP, X-ray, porter, houskeeping, TV, maintenance, security are doing their jobs).

Sometimes its one of those days.

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I generally leave my patients floating in a pool of poo. I like to give other nurses a chance to feel morally superior. I feel it's my gift to the nursing community.

It is not an issue of morality. It is an issue of people doing their @@@@@@@ jobs! I see people laying in poo and yet there always seems to be plenty of time for the staff to chat it up at the nurses station. What I see is a huge amount of ineffiency.

Does management need to hire more staff? Yes.

Does the staff need to get a bit better at time management? Yes

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
Honestly - some days I consider it a good day if my pts are still medically stable when I leave them.

I feel terrible at the state they are in - but there is only one of me and 4-6 acutely sick of them and I do more work than I should as a nurse anyway (check with and make sure that the docs, pharmacy, kitchen, OT, PT, SLP, X-ray, porter, houskeeping, TV, maintenance, security are doing their jobs).

Sometimes its one of those days.

I don't want this to sound harsh but before I checked that I "check with and make sure that the docs, pharmacy, kitchen, OT, PT, SLP, X-ray, porter, houskeeping, TV, maintenance, security are doing their jobs" I would make sure my patient is clean, comfortable and cared for so I wouldn't have to "feel terrible"....just saying:smokin:

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.
It is not an issue of morality. It is an issue of people doing their @@@@@@@ jobs! I see people laying in poo and yet there always seems to be plenty of time for the staff to chat it up at the nurses station. What I see is a huge amount of ineffiency.

Does management need to hire more staff? Yes.

Does the staff need to get a bit better at time management? Yes

I think wooh was being sarcastic......:idea:

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