Bed Baths & Other Nursing Arts Still Taught? (Speaking of Wet Wipe Baths)

[DoGoodThenGo]

Just wondering if learning how to give bed baths is still taught in today's RN nursing programs? Or has it gone the way of other nursing arts such as three different types of bed making and so forth?

[RNewbie]

I graduated in 2009. We were taught bed baths/how to make a bed and got checked off on them in the skills lab. We were only expected to do bed baths/ADLs on our very first day of foundations clinical. After that, we were told to delegate. Honestly, I did not get enough practice on bed baths and making up beds and was lost at times when I had to do it on my own as a new nurse. I would make the biggest messes and it took me forever. As time went on I learned a lot from working with the assistants.

[rumwynnieRN]

All of those are still taught. I made beds my last semester of nursing school (I liked to stay busy when none of the patients needed anything), and gave lots of bed baths, both wipes and the traditional.

[blackvans1234]

They didn't even teach us how to make hospital corners!

[wanderlust99]

We were taught that in nursing school but I've never heard or considered it an "art".

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

In my experience, it may be taught, but then taught to delegate. Or to encourage the patient to do their own washing up after set up. NCLEX is a lot of "what would you delegate" scenarios, so naturally I think it makes it seem as if that although an RN may know HOW to do it, they don't necessarily NEED to do it.

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

We were taught that in nursing school but I've never heard or considered it an "art".

To give a bath.....While keeping your patient warm and covered while maintaining their dignity....IS an ART.

jadelpn ‼ In my experience, it may be taught, but then taught to delegate. Or to encourage the patient to do their own washing up after set up.

Wow.....this saddens me....we are losing the art of nursing.

I know, I know ....technology....advances....responsibilities....now are "worse"...but I worked in critical care with open hearts and advanced medicine. I remember on a step down unit a new med was approved and flown in from Chicago for torsades....it was called bretyllium (I know it isn't used any more) it was cutting edge.....but I still gave my patients care.....we gave PM care, rubbed their backs washed their faces and hands ....brushed their teeth......"tucked" them in....dumped their trash. All AMI's were on bedrest for at least a week and were NOT allowed to do their own care.

I always found that assessing my patient while giving care was the best assessment of the patient and their needs. Many time while making "casual conversation" patients reveal things that are links to caring for them or that they may have issues at home....like abuse.

I always found a sense of deep satisfaction, a job well done........in seeing my patient bathed, hair combed, teeth brushed, clean shaven, comfy on a clean crisp bed.....drsgs complete...lines changed........I guess I am a dinosaur.

It was the reason I went to ICU.....not just the adrenaline and the skill it took to care for these patients......but to give the care I was taught to give.

[soxgirl2008]

We learned it in our CNA program. Our RN program requires you to take a CNA class prior to starting clinicals, so we don't really go over it in our RN program because they assume you learned it in CNA class.

[Hygiene Queen]

They didn't even teach us how to make hospital corners!

What???????

You'll kill your patients if you don't do hospital corners!!

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

I went to nursing school about 12 years ago (wow...that long?!) and we were taught soap and water baths with wash cloths and we also had to make our beds with flat sheets, not fitted ones.

Now, the hospital I work in does not *allow* soap and water baths. Every bath has to be done with chlorhexidine wipes and thats that. If I have a really stinky patient, I will pull the curtain and hide so I can give a soap and water bath.

The hospital also took away all razors from the bedside and gave us electric clippers that really don't do a nice face shave. :-\

You do know the reasons for those, right? If not, ask, and we can tell everyone.

[nurseprnRN, BSN, RN]

I learned "hospital corners" fRom my mother, who learned them in the unit on home nursing in the 1930's Girl Scouts. (If you ever want to know how to make a quite serviceable bedpan with newspapers just ask me). I was fine with them when I went to school, but imagine my surprise when the first hospital I worked in had fitted bottom sheets! Wow!

A Canadian nurse taught me how to make fitted sheets out of flat ones, and I have taught that to a lot of people since, including all my students. It's fabulous, smooth and tight, no wrinkles, and if the sheet doesn't get dirty it doesn't need changing QD either. I mean, do you change your sheets at home QD if they aren't dirty? Of course not.

OK, OK. To to this, make sure your bottom sheet is the long kind, not the short one that came to your hospital on the last EMS stretcher. Tie a square knot (NOT a granny knot...

Note how the ends lie next to each other on each side of the knot) on the narrow end of the sheet, with the "tails" as short as possible. Pull the resulting piece over the head of the mattress, so the knot is underneath it and the corners of the mattress are compressed a bit because it's so tight.

Now, walk to the foot of the bed. Pull the sheet down tight to wedge the mattress into the tied end. Lift up the foot of the mattress, pull the ends of the sheet underneath it and tie another square knot, or tie the square knot first and pull it over the end of the mattress. Your mattress will look a little U-shaped, but if you bounce it a bit it will smoosh into those tightly-tied ends and flatten out and be snug and flat, ready for the draw sheet.

When you take it off, be sure to pull the knots out before they go to the laundry!

[edmia, BSN, RN]

To give a bath.....While keeping your patient warm and covered while maintaining their dignity....IS an ART.Wow.....this saddens me....we are losing the art of nursing.

I know, I know ....technology....advances....responsibilities....now are "worse"...but I worked in critical care with open hearts and advanced medicine. I remember on a step down unit a new med was approved and flown in from Chicago for torsades....it was called bretyllium (I know it isn't used any more) it was cutting edge.....but I still gave my patients care.....we gave PM care, rubbed their backs washed their faces and hands ....brushed their teeth......"tucked" them in....dumped their trash. All AMI's were on bedrest for at least a week and were NOT allowed to do their own care.

I always found that assessing my patient while giving care was the best assessment of the patient and their needs. Many time while making "casual conversation" patients reveal things that are links to caring for them or that they may have issues at home....like abuse.

I always found a sense of deep satisfaction, a job well done........in seeing my patient bathed, hair combed, teeth brushed, clean shaven, comfy on a clean crisp bed.....drsgs complete...lines changed........I guess I am a dinosaur.

It was the reason I went to ICU.....not just the adrenaline and the skill it took to care for these patients......but to give the care I was taught to give.

Esme, I wish we had the time to do this type of care. Nowadays, I spend my time documenting all the cool technology we have. Frustrating that advances take time away from the patient.

Sent from my iPhone using allnurses.com

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

I documented like crazy as well...and still did care. I worked critical care up until about 3 years ago......I just think we are forgetting who's connected to all that junk. They had multiple gtts, PA lines, LA lines, Pacers, balloon pump, vents CAVHD (we call them gambros) and VAD's NGT's and we wrote long hand...which actually sometime is sometimes easier.

But we remembered the patient. or should I say we were allowed to remember the patient...sad really.