Bathing Trouble

[FutureCota]

Today, I made my first attempt at bathing a resident and I quite frankly, choked.

It wasn't at all like the videos on youtube and I kept getting water everywhere. The patient was a non-responsive one so I was already nervous and she closed her legs so I couldn't get to her peri area. The worst was dressing her again. I am a guy and I had no idea how to turn her panties or her bra on and since she was non responsive and sitting there, I had trouble figuring out how to put her clothes on.

Actually, the worst was me elbowing her head by accident and I still feel terrible for that.

My instructor says that I will learn by doing, but I have only two tries left and I don't know how I can practice/make sure I do better.

Does anyone have a step by step guide? My book is very vague. I have to know how to put on clothes for a non responsive person and the book is no help either.

I feel stupid and I'm nervous about my theory instructor pulling me aside after class.

[OneOnOnes, ADN]

Once you get over the initial awkwardness, bathing will be super easy! Just start at the face then work your way down. You can either wash them head-to-toe or you can do a partial bedbath which consists of doing the face, under the arms, under the breasts, peri area, and then their bottom. Either for a full bedbath or a partial bed bath always start at their front side first then roll them over and then do their back/back of their legs/bottoms last. I always bring in 4 or 5 wash cloths if I am doing a full bed bath because I like using fresh wash clothes for all over the different areas and then I don't reuse them afterwards. I always do feet and bottoms last. I always use a fresh wash cloth for feet and discard it after.

It sounds also like you're not squeezing a lot of water out. When I first started I squeezed a lot of water out but tried to keep a little bit and I wrapped the wash cloth around my hand and washed that way. But to really give someone a good wash it's best to not squeeze it out all the way, and you will definitely get the bed soaked that way, BUT if you bring in extra towels and put it under the patient/resident's legs and arms before you wash those areas then the water will get on the towels and not soak the bed.

Those are my tips!

[OliveOyl91, BSN, RN]

I've been a CNA for 3 years and I still get anxiety over giving showers. I've worked evening/night shift my entire CNA career and have only needed to give showers PRN. It's awkward, I have no routine, I wind up soaking wet, but in the end I get my patient clean. Haha.

[Missingyou, CNA]

I wear those "rain boots" when I shower a resident.

putting a bra on an unresponsive resident....I'm surprised you are required to do that (because usually unresponsive residents just don't wear them anymore.) but, slip arms in, fasten the back then pull down over breasts. You may have to actually lift the breasts one at a time into the bra.

Your facility may or may not dictate using a shower bed or chair for each person. If not, it's best to use a shower bed rather than a chair with a resident that can't help at all. If they squeeze their legs, do the peri care when you roll them onto their side & move the top leg to the side. It's easier to clean peri area.

Dressing: Choose a dress if at all possible! Otherwise, start with the pants, pull up as far as you can. Button up shirts are usually easier...slip effected arm in and roll resident. Tuck shirt under resident and pull up pants as far as you can on the one hip. Roll to other side, pull up pants on other side and pull out shirt and finish. OR: to put on shirt, wait until resident is in a sitting upright position (even if that means raising the head of bed to highest point) and then put on shirt. Some residents it's better to put both arms in then pull over their head, others it's much easier to pull over their head then the affected arm then the other while keeping the shirt high around the neck until arms are in.

If you're using a shower bed that doesn't quite fit into the shower draining area, put towels under the bed mat at the end that sticks out. This way the water will run down and drain at the proper end and away from you and the floor outside the shower.