Tips on making that ICU bed look perfect after a bath

we had this amazing ontraption that we used to wash hair, it was like a soft moulded pillow with a channel to drain away the water, we just laid their head on it, laid the bed falt and washed hair like normal with warm water and shampoo. The detangling sprays you can get for kids are also fantastic for getting rids of those knots and tangles.

Another thing i always used to make sure i did, was ask family to bring i personal toiletries and I used them, with the exception of things that might be contraindicated such as perfumes etc, but for ladies I would always, make sure they had their legs and underarms shaved, applies body lotions to stop skin drying out, and use plenty of mouth care products and chapstick on their lips.

I only do the occasional shift in ICU now, but it used to give me great pleasure making my patients clean and comfortable and my room and bedside neat and tidy

The scent of vanilla covers a lot of odors

I work in a trauma/medical/surgical/neuro and love bathtime with my patients! It's a great opportunity to "bond" with the patients and really get an excellent skin assessment. I feel a sense of accomplishment when I can stand back after my baths and see a clean, fresh patient on crisp white sheets. I shave my male patient's faces and my female patient's legs and underarms (I buy the big pack of disposable razors at Costco and use one for each patient because the hospital-issued ones are crap; I've cut many patient's faces up with those cheap blades!). In the past, I've even painted toenails on a young lady who, according to her family, was very conscious of her appearance.

I wash my patients hair with either the shampoo caps or use the hair washing tray we have (it has a hose connected to the bottom part of it that you put into the sink or a garbage can to drain water) and in the case of women with long hair (who've been in our unit for weeks and have very tangled up locks), I will put a bit of conditioner in it and braid it so it doesn't continue to get tangled up. My baths take approximately 30-40 minutes from start to finish, including oral care, trach care, and any dressing changes that need to be done.

I have a little "goodie" bag that I bring in filled with quality razors, elastic bands for the hair, hair detangler, conditioner, shaving cream (in case I can't get any from patient supply), linen spray (for those who aren't sensitive to fragrances and aren't on vents), and grapefruit lotion (ambiguous enough for both male and females....again, I don't use unless family/patient is able to tell me if the patient is sensitive to fragrances or has allergies).

I look forward to my bed baths even though in the beginning I was timid about doing it all on my own (I had been giving baths with my preceptor all through nursing school). But I eventually got over it and have made it into my own little "ritual" with my patients. The families are always very appreciative, especially when the little things like shaving legs and armpits (on gals) are done. I know that when I'm sick, I feel tons better when I actually get my butt into the shower and lather up. It may not make me "healthier" or any less sick, but I somehow feel better. I like to think my patients feel much the same way.

Melanie = )

An easy "soak" for fingernails: Before you start the bath, put a little lotion into the fingers of a glove, and slip the gloves on the patient. Keep them on until you're all finished with everything else, then clean the nails last. I call it "Instant Manicure."

For really filthy feet, I'll then get a plastic bag with a bath blanket on top and put the whole thing under the patient's feet. Then wet 2 towels with warm water, wring them out, and tuck them around the feet. Let 'em "soak" like this for a few minutes while you do the hair and the rest of the body.

Not having worked in ICU, I don't know how this translates, but I've had people hospitalized for weeks whose hair was so greasy and tangled, I'd remove their pillow and put a plastic bag (bring it up around their shoulders), put a couple of bath blankets over the plastic, and just go ahead and wash and rinse their hair, then comb it and wrap it in a towel while you do the rest.

If you do the hair first, if the bed gets messed up, you're going to change the bedding anyway. Then while the hair is still damp, braid it or style it.

I love the detanglers; they work very well, but I think you use them first, then wash.

Also, the Johnson's No More Tears shampoo is great for getting that crud out of the eyes.

Here is the greatest tip ever for washing hair in bed:

If pt can lay pretty flat, this works better... Our headboards come off where I work, and it helps A LOT. Take the headboard off, move the bed away from the wall, move pt up in bed, as far as they can, place towel roll under their neck and tuck a large trash bag under their shoulders and neck, resting the bottom of the bag on the bed frame below. Wash their hair with shampoo and conditioner as normal, and rinse (I like to use a clean urinal for the water) letting the water fall into the trash bag. This makes for really clean hair and a not so sopping wet bed... Just gather the trash bag and pour it into the nearest sink or toilet. Pts love this and their famlies appreciate it. Obviously this is not for every pt, as some are much much sicker than others... Hope this helps though.

In our ICU, we add wonderful smelling body washes to our bath water. We buy these on our own. The Dollar Store has tons of different smells for a buck! I bought some male body wash the other night, and everybody commented on how good it smelled in my patients room. Men don't like smelling like roses! For the women, we like to pair up the body wash with the same smelling creme. Of course we wouldn't use these products if they had allergies. I'm also a powder freak, so they get powder on their backs and butts. Then cover them with fresh linen layed just right, clean up the room, and that should be it.
Also, as already menitoned, all the tubes and wires should be laid staight and no tangles. I lay the heaviest heart monitor wires behind the patients pillow. When those wires and foley tubes hang, they can be uncomfortable for the patient.

Dorie

Just recalled something else: after washing long hair, while it's still wet, comb out and braid on top of the head. Stays very neat-looking that way. You can wrap the braid into a bun if you think the patient would prefer that style. Ribbons or scrunchies are always a nice addition.

I've had some patients get very emotional after having a nice bed bath and hairdo fix. It's amazing what a little TLC can do.

I've been nursing for 14 years in ICU and have done many a bath... and there's not one thing that I can think of that hasn't already been covered.

Excellent thread!!

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 do all those things, but sometimes you get a patient that looks good for all of 10 minutes then squirms around sideways, wrinkle up their sheets and looks worse than when you started! (where's the propofol) I have 2 vent patients like that now!!!

We have a couple of nurses that over do the powder thing and when you come in to do your am assessment....pt looks ready to fry LOL