Baths and other stuff.

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I have to admit this freaks me out. That being said I have two kids and I have wiped butts and bathed kids like nobody's business lol. I am hoping you all could answer a few questions for me? Sorry if they sound ignorant :) just starting out my pre reqs

1- How often do patients get bed baths?

2-When you have to wipe is it really gross? I cant imagine what wiping a grown mans behind with poop is like? Sorry just being honest. I am sure with time it becomes second nature?

3-Dentures???? What is that about? Do you have to clean dentures? I read this on another post.

4-Isnt most of this stuff done by CNA's unless the hospital is understaffed or in special cases? I understand we have to learn to do this and do it right and with compassion when it needs to be done but how much of this do you really do on average or on a normal day? Do most hospitals have CNA's for the bulk of this type of work?

5-What other things of this nature are a nurses responsibility?

thanks so much everyone!

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Specializes in None.
I have to admit this freaks me out. That being said I have two kids and I have wiped butts and bathed kids like nobody's business lol. I am hoping you all could answer a few questions for me? Sorry if they sound ignorant :) just starting out my pre reqs

1- How often do patients get bed baths? Daily I believe, usually called AM care for morning, but I believe they can pick morning or evening.

2-When you have to wipe is it really gross? I cant imagine what wiping a grown mans behind with poop is like? Sorry just being honest. I am sure with time it becomes second nature? I haven't done this yet besides on a fake patient in Lab so I can't answer this.

3-Dentures???? What is that about? Do you have to clean dentures? I read this on another post. Yes, you clean the dentures. You just brush them and rinse them and then you let them put the dentures in if they can.

4-Isnt most of this stuff done by CNA's unless the hospital is understaffed or in special cases? I understand we have to learn to do this and do it right and with compassion when it needs to be done but how much of this do you really do on average or on a normal day? Do most hospitals have CNA's for the bulk of this type of work?

5-What other things of this nature are a nurses responsibility?

thanks so much everyone!

Okay I put my answers in bold, however I wanted to answer 4 and 5 separately. It bothers me when I hear a nurse say, "That's not my job, it's the CNA's job to give baths, wipe butts. I went to school to not have to do that". I have NOT been a nurse OR a CNA. I'm a first year RN student. I think the BEST care you can give someone is through the human touch. Touch can be a HUGE factor in the healing process. To say you're TOO good or TOO educated to perform some aspects of your patients care is a disservice to that patient and yourself. Your CNA needs to be your best friend at work. In my observations, they are often the first to alert nurses of possible problems. If an RN delegates vitals of a patient to a CNA and that CNA notices that the BP is dropping or temp is rising, etc they can either chose to alert the RN or not. It's the RN's job to assess those vitals and you have no right to be upset with your CNA to not let you know. That is just my opinion however.

I think either way, you need to go into nursing with the attitude of you will be wiping butts and giving baths on a daily basis.

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Every disgusting thing you can think of...you will do. If you are not prepared to do so, this may be the wrong line of work. Yes many places have cnas or lpns to do this work but it depends on the facility.

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I am not sure if you mean that towards Me or if you are just generalizing? I will answer based on the fact that it sounds like you are addressing MY attitude?

I dont think I am too good or too educated for anything. That being said I am not looking forward to bathing and wiping someones behind and I will make no apology for that. My ultimate goal is advance nursing, that being said I agree that compassion and human touch are HUGE in the healing process and I am willing to put in my time doing the things that come with this career. I am looking forward to learning as much as I can in all aspects of nursing including these topics because they will make me a GREAT nurse. I will not pretend like I will enjoy giving baths and wiping behinds to look like a good person though. I also dont think I have to convince anyone other than myself that this career is for me. I simply think we are all different and that is what makes everyone who they are, I dont judge others. Thanks for your imput!

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Specializes in None.
I am not sure if you mean that towards Me or if you are just generalizing? I will answer based on the fact that it sounds like you are addressing MY attitude?

I dont think I am too good or too educated for anything. That being said I am not looking forward to bathing and wiping someones behind and I will make no apology for that. My ultimate goal is advance nursing, that being said I agree that compassion and human touch are HUGE in the healing process and I am willing to put in my time doing the things that come with this career. I am looking forward to learning as much as I can in all aspects of nursing including these topics because they will make me a GREAT nurse. I will not pretend like I will enjoy giving baths and wiping behinds to look like a good person though. I also dont think I have to convince anyone other than myself that this career is for me. I simply think we are all different and that is what makes everyone who they are, I dont judge others. Thanks for your imput!

That was a generalization, not directed towards you. Sorry, should've clarified that. I went off on a tangent. Anyways, a lot of nurses around here have that attitude and I don't like it. And I agree, I highly doubt anyone would jump up and say, "YES I LOVE WIPING BUTTS!" LOL I highly respect the DON that pulls up her sleeves and dives in along side the CNA's to help them out. :) Again, sorry if that first reply seemed directed at you, it wasn't meant to be....just a soapbox of mine.

BTW, I'm not one of those people who loves wiping butts, I can't wait for my 2 year old to be potty trained! LOL But I'll wipe a patients butt if they can't, lord knows I'd want someone to wipe mine!!!

Oh, and I forgot to put in the original post, I think it's as or more embarassing for the patient to have these things done for them as it is for us to do them.

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Kaychell no worries, I also think the patients must be mortified way more stressfull for them, poor things!

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Everything that CNAs and LPNs do in hospital settings are ultimately the RN's responsibility -- they just happen to be tasks that can be delegated to other personnel. Sometimes, in some settings, you have unlicensed or LPN staff available to help with personal care and ADL, and sometimes you don't. Either way, it's the RN's responsibility to see that it gets done, whether that means delegating or doing it yourself.

That being said, most RNs are not doing a lot of butt-wiping and bed baths on a daily basis.

You'll get v. used to doing all kinds of personal care in nursing school. It quickly becomes no big deal. As Kaychell noted, you'd certainly want someone to do these things for you (and do them with compassion and competence) if you weren't able to do them for yourself.

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Specializes in ER, progressive care.
I have to admit this freaks me out. That being said I have two kids and I have wiped butts and bathed kids like nobody's business lol. I am hoping you all could answer a few questions for me? Sorry if they sound ignorant :) just starting out my pre reqs

1- How often do patients get bed baths?

Everyday. Either done by the RN, LPN, CNA, tech...Some patients are designated "night baths" (done on the evening shift) but most people are bathed during the day. In the ICU I have noticed that a lot of baths are done during the night shift. Linens at my hospital get changed every day, but at the hospital I used to work at they get changed every other day (unless they are soiled, obviously).

2-When you have to wipe is it really gross? I cant imagine what wiping a grown mans behind with poop is like? Sorry just being honest. I am sure with time it becomes second nature?

It can be. Depends on the size of the mess. You get used to it but sometimes I still get a little grossed out.

3-Dentures???? What is that about? Do you have to clean dentures? I read this on another post.

Yes you do. Patient usually takes them out and then I brush them...rinse them off and will usually soak them in a denture cup with mouthwash or something. When the patient wants them back, I rinse them off again before giving them back to the patient.

4-Isnt most of this stuff done by CNA's unless the hospital is understaffed or in special cases? I understand we have to learn to do this and do it right and with compassion when it needs to be done but how much of this do you really do on average or on a normal day? Do most hospitals have CNA's for the bulk of this type of work?

Just because a person is an RN or LPN does not mean they automatically "get out of this stuff" but the RN almost always delegates these activities to the CNA or tech because they have other things to do that the CNA or tech cannot do (assessments, pass medications, etc). I have nurses who are not busy help me. Ultimately tho, it is the RN's responsibility that this stuff gets done and gets done properly. That goes with ANYTHING that is delegated to anyone.

5-What other things of this nature are a nurses responsibility?

As I mentioned before, everything is ultimately the nurses responsibility

thanks so much everyone!

And on a side note, I work as a nurse tech. Basically like a CNA but I get to do pretty much everything I have learned in school (phlebotomy, IV starts, foley insertion, dressing changes, enemas, etc etc etc) except assess and pass meds.

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Specializes in LDRP.

At the nursing home i was at, they only got showers twice a week. (it is impossible for 2 cnas to shower 20 patients before breakfast every day!). i totally prefer giving a bed bath to taking them into the shower. things splash on you, they almost always end up peeing/pooping int he shower. >.

but you gotta do what you gotta do!

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Specializes in Critical Care, Emergency Medicine, Flight.
i have to admit this freaks me out. that being said i have two kids and i have wiped butts and bathed kids like nobody's business lol. i am hoping you all could answer a few questions for me? sorry if they sound ignorant :) just starting out my pre reqs

1- how often do patients get bed baths? at their designated times. it depends on the pts status. i know in icu where i worked they got am baths around 5-6 am,

2-when you have to wipe is it really gross? i cant imagine what wiping a grown mans behind with poop is like? sorry just being honest. i am sure with time it becomes second nature? i dont think wiping a** will ever become second nature unless its your own or ur childrens, but i have done it before and its really not that bad. i mean, obviously if the pt can do it themself... duh. but for the icu people on ventilators/sedation etc.. its just care that they need , just like big babys :)

3-dentures???? what is that about? do you have to clean dentures? i read this on another post. denture cup. so ive heard, most pts like to eat without their dentures in so not much brushing there hehe :)

4-isnt most of this stuff done by cna's unless the hospital is understaffed or in special cases? i understand we have to learn to do this and do it right and with compassion when it needs to be done but how much of this do you really do on average or on a normal day? do most hospitals have cna's for the bulk of this type of work? sure cna's , techs and the like can do all that stuff that, but in order to delegate the tasks to other people , or assist them in doing them we have to know & be able to do it ourselves..

5-what other things of this nature are a nurses responsibility? all of it hahaha:d

thanks so much everyone!

hope that clears some stuff up :)

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I don't think anyone looks foward to wiping butts lol. I just wanted to say that it also depends on the area of nursing you do. If you're in a place like L&D, Psych, Peds you might see less bed baths taking place but regardless you'll have to do it as a nursing student.

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Specializes in Peds OR as RN, Peds ENT as NP.

I worried about this stuff when I first became a CNA before nursing school.

1. Bed baths depends on the facility. In some it can be everyday or every other day, and sometimes you help them or the tub or shower. I'm in my first semester of 4-semester ABSN program and we only have to do bed baths in clinicals only this semester. In the hospital where I have clinicals the nurses and also assigned baths. Also, you never know. You could be doing assessment and notice that a patient needs one at that moment. Who you gonna call :uhoh21:

2. Wiping is wiping. It will become second nature. We will do it so much... in nursing school and beyond. Nurses also do manual disimpaction. You will smell "C. diff" and be forever changed.

3. Dentures-yes. Maybe not that often though. They are very expensive so you want to help patients take care of them.

4. As a current CNA, yes we do most of these tasks. But like you said, some floors may not have techs or CNAs or enough of them.

5. Nurses may have to take part in any of a patients ADL's.

I understand the concern, if you haven't been exposed to it you will definitely have some reservations:)

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