Giving Baths At Night. Agree Or Disagree?

Specialties Geriatric

Published

we have recently started giving baths on night shift at the ltc facility i work at....many of the cna's are upset over this because they feel that it is wrong to drag residents up out of bed in the middle of the night to give a bath to them....we are not really short handed so that is not the reason for giving baths....and the residents we give baths to on 3rd shift are disoriented, but still....so question is do you or do you not agree with giving baths on 3rd shift?

i want to clarify a few details to see if the response is any different....but thank you for all your input thus far....

this is a long-term care facility,,,,and the residents, in which baths are given are unaware of the time of day, due to cognitive status......and some are frequently awake at night anyways, but not always........these factors may not change your views...but i wanted to make sure you had all the information........thank you for your response.....

Specializes in acute medical.
If its before bedtime thats fine.I wouldnt wake them up unless thier incontinent and a mess.

Totally in agreeance.The only other time I would wake someone is if they required pressure care. It's cruel not to let ppl sleep. Seems there is a consensus here...

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho.

Only a problem if you are waking people up for baths. If they are wandering and up already maybe a shower would help them go back to bed and be comfortable for a few more hours.

http://www.google.com/search?q=internal+clock&sourceid=mozilla&start=0&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

It has been known for quite a while that we have internal rhythms that have been developed over millenia, especially related to time of day and, coincidentally, when to sleep and when to be awake.

Just because someone is "out of it" doesn't mean their internal clock is. To my mind, that's like saying an unconsious patient cannot feel pain. I think we have gone beyond that point in nursing, at least I hope so.

My sympathies to day shifts everywhere, but, and I didn't like it either because it put a crimp in my ability to get my job done, being in the hospital or any similar setting has its own intrinsic stresses and adhering to basic customary schedules increases patient comfort and wellbeing.

General concensus here is from 0500am to 2130pm is ok for a bath. First the patients condition must be taken into consideration. I have given baths at 0230am to incontient patient, but never to one just one who was missed on daily schedule. Sleep is healing.

Specializes in CMSRN.

Ultimately everyone feels the same. If this question was brought up to anyone who is not in health care, they would feel the same too. Except of course the ones who made up this policy. It does not take much to realize that waking someone up to give a bath is wrong.

Specializes in Ortho, Med surg and L&D.
We have recently started giving baths on night shift at the LTC facility I work at....many of the CNA's are upset over this because they feel that it is wrong to drag residents up out of bed in the middle of the night to give a bath to them....we are not really short handed so that is not the reason for giving baths....and the residents we give baths to on 3rd shift are disoriented, but still....so question is do you or do you not agree with giving baths on 3rd shift?

The only time I had to give baths while working a midnight shift I saved them until at least 6am. Ran my tail off for about an hour getting at least two in but, there is no way I would wake a resident/patient up between 11pm to 6am to drag them to the showers.

No.

Gen

Are you kidding me??? People are actually getting bathed during the middle of the night?????? I could see if they had an accident or wet themselves in the night and had to have everything changed........but that's horrible to be giving baths in the middle of the night......:eek: I'd be pretty upset.... I think before bed at night or in the morning before they get dressed for the day is good.......I understand it would be nearly impossible to give everyone a bath at the same time of day so maybe that's why????? I don't agree with it though............ I would be very upset if it were me or my loved one be woken for bathing on late hours......:imbar

http://www.google.com/search?q=internal+clock&sourceid=mozilla&start=0&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

It has been known for quite a while that we have internal rhythms that have been developed over millenia, especially related to time of day and, coincidentally, when to sleep and when to be awake.

Just because someone is "out of it" doesn't mean their internal clock is. To my mind, that's like saying an unconsious patient cannot feel pain.

Yay...someone who actually "gets it" ...it bugs me too! It's like the people who assume someone has no idea what is going on around them because they can't talk or openly communicate to others.....:icon_hug: Thank you for being one of those people!

Sure as long as I could sneek into the DON's house at three am and throw her into the lovley state 100 degree water they pass off as warm too... I am all for HS showers/baths some folks go to bed fairly late and early am risers can be done too but if you snagged me at 3 am and tossed me into cool water yuck.

Ughhh...this really gets me. We are going to start doing this now too. I am SOOOOOO against this.In our case, it is totally a convenience thing. First shift (which I work) states they don't have enough time, second shift states they don't have enought time, so they have to wake them up at 430am-5am. These aren't bedbaths folks, there showers!

I have told the administrator how I feel, but DON wins.

Ughhh...this really gets me. We are going to start doing this now too. I am SOOOOOO against this.In our case, it is totally a convenience thing. First shift (which I work) states they don't have enough time, second shift states they don't have enought time, so they have to wake them up at 430am-5am. These aren't bedbaths folks, there showers!

I have told the administrator how I feel, but DON wins.

hmmm at least one poster, early on, stated that it was against DOH rules, and was considered abuse....perhaps you should discreetly check this out?...also, try the ombudsman good luck

hmmm at least one poster, early on, stated that it was against DOH rules, and was considered abuse....perhaps you should discreetly check this out?...also, try the ombudsman good luck

I plan to :madface: . I have no problem with residents that are early risers, but most are woken out of a sound sleep.

After all I here about..."this is their home" it really gets me steaming!!

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