I have been wanting to ask this for a very long time, and it has been the first ethical issue I have faced in nursing. I am employed at a nursing facility that is one of the largest in the area, and won awards from the state two years in a row for not having any errors during inspections from the health department. I'm a junior nursing student working on getting my BSN. Anyways to the situation...
I was employed to this facility and was placed on the dementia unit. Many on this unit were very bad off, some threatening to kill you if you asked to give them a bath. I understand dementia. I understand that many of these people are confused about their surroundings and have lost the ability to care for themselves. I get it. However, many times while I was at this facility, I was forced to give patient care. For instance, say "Chuck Norris" was to get a bath today. I'd approach him and say in statement form "Hey Chuck, I'm giving you a bath after dinner real quick okay?" Often they would say no. I would reapproach them multiple times, sometimes using the word "water therapy" or something instead.
However at this facility if a patient did not get a bath, we often would steer, physically push or pick them up physically and put them in the bath tub. I do not care what mental state you are in, that is wrong. These patients sometimes cried and became terrified of us. I cannot morally give care to someone like that. You reapproach the issue. Sometimes I have sat down and talked with a patient, and calmly and directly tell them what is going to happen or what I am going to do. Sometimes looking them in the eye helps to fmake them focus. And they do as I ask (usually haha). Anyways I was told if I did not give a patient a bath on their assigned day I would automatically be fired.
Separate issue but several LPNs asked me to apply skin lotion that was ordered for the patients, but I'm not sure if I am permitted to do that?
What's your take on this? I felt wrong how care was performed and felt I was working in a prison, not a nursing facility. Just felt so morally wrong at the time.
