bathing

That all depends on what kind of facility/unit you're working in. In a nursing home or LTC facility, yes, you usually have a shower room where you bring the patient and actually shower them. In hospitals, the patient can shower themselves if they are able/medically stable to do so. In ICUs or for patients who cannot bathe themselves, you give them bedbaths--consider it a full body wipe down with either pre-moistened towlets, or good old soap and water/washcloths. It's not the most glamorous part of nursing, but it is part of the job to make sure the pt is clean, dry, and comfortable, and to ensure skin integrity. It's also a great opportunity to do a full body skin assessment.

In a LTC (long term care aka nusing home) pts get bedbaths and full showers/tubs. Meaning on 6 of the 7 days a week, the patient gets washed up when in bed or in the bathroom(called AM care and PM care). One one day/evening a week the patient gets a shower (just like you and I would shower, only they are sitting in a shower chair) or a tub/whirlpool bath (they are in a full tub of water).

I have always considered the 'basin' bath, 'toweltte' bath to be a poor excuse for a bath, therefore, whenever I do one I try to do a complete of one as possible.

And as putmetosleep says...it a great opportunity to do a full body skin assessment....I also use the bath as an excuse to do passive range of motion to extremities...especially the lower ones.

Most hospitals have a shower in the room if the patient is ambulatory. Most LTC's I have worked in have whirlpool baths and showers in a separate room, and residents are scheduled for twice a week (which due to their age, they think is too often- "only bathe once a week")