baths?

zambezi, BSN, RN · May 10, 2005

I would say definately as a student and in most nursing jobs as well. Patient hygeine typically part of the daily care that goes on. OUt on the floors, many patients can shower on their own...but many need help. There are often CNAs that can do the bathing, but it behooves you to assist when you have time or if the patient needs to be cleaned the the aide is assisting another. In our CICU, we do all of our own baths as we do not have aides to help us...i know that some critical care units do have aides/techs to assist them. In the ER you may not have to do a full bath but you will have to clean people up, people do have bowel/bladder accidents and emesis as well...if they barf on themselves it is often up to you to help clean.

On another note, I would say that OR/PACU probably does not have to do many baths.

Personally, I would just get used to the fact that you will have to do it. It is not as bad as it seems...and you do want people to do as much for themselves as you can. People feel better when they are clean and appreciate the help that you give them. Plus it is a great time to assess your patient, their skin, motor function, tolerability of activity, etc.

roxburin · May 10, 2005

I would say definately as a student and in most nursing jobs as well. Patient hygeine typically part of the daily care that goes on. OUt on the floors, many patients can shower on their own...but many need help. There are often CNAs that can do the bathing, but it behooves you to assist when you have time or if the patient needs to be cleaned the the aide is assisting another. In our CICU, we do all of our own baths as we do not have aides to help us...i know that some critical care units do have aides/techs to assist them. In the ER you may not have to do a full bath but you will have to clean people up, people do have bowel/bladder accidents and emesis as well...if they barf on themselves it is often up to you to help clean.
On another note, I would say that OR/PACU probably does not have to do many baths.
Personally, I would just get used to the fact that you will have to do it. It is not as bad as it seems...and you do want people to do as much for themselves as you can. People feel better when they are clean and appreciate the help that you give them. Plus it is a great time to assess your patient, their skin, motor function, tolerability of activity, etc.

Thanks, I've come to the conclusion that accidents will happen in the ER/OR and are unavoidable. I would be completely OK with that from time to time. It's just hard picturing myself washing someone else. It's got to be harder for guys to do that. You think? I can picture myself doing all kinds of things, but not bathing someone. It's disturbing in some way. I don't know if it's a nurturing thing (men aren't raised that way) or an ego thing or what. I'm considering going to school, but this isn't something I want to do alot of (if any at all hah hah). Just a hesitation on my part.

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · May 10, 2005

I work in an ICU (as a tech) and the nurse helps with cleaning their own patients. Besides, that's the best time to assess lung sounds, and to assess the back and coccyx...

Redman · May 10, 2005

I got the feeling you were talking about the whole guy bathing a female thing. I do most of my own baths and have no problem. I work on a Telemetry floor and what I do is just maintain my professionalism no matter what. I go in explain what I am going to do, if the patient requests a female do the bath then I offer to do one of my fellow nurses bathes in exchange or beg one of our wonderful and way over worked and under appreciated CNA to do it for me. (this usually requires some type of food bribe. :chuckle )

BEANURSE · May 10, 2005

I'm not currently a nurse and was wondering if you have to give patients baths or is there anyway around that? I think the ER, OR and possibly the ICU sound interesting, but bathing someone isn't really something I want to do. Do you have to do that if you are a nurse? Or as a student? Just curious. Thanks, -Rox-

I am currently in nursing school and we are REQUIRED to give total care to the patient that we are assigned to. We can not "pass off" anything to a CNA or anyone else. I would think that during school you will give your share of baths.

FEELYRN · May 10, 2005

Helping to bathe patients is always uncomfortable when you first start but believe me, you get over it, just as you "get over" dig stimming a person rectum or disimpacting them. Nursing is not a "pretty" job at times, but with experience you learn not only to overcome your own discomfort but to help patients overcome theirs. As someone mentioned earlier, bathing pat. is an excellent time for head to toe assessment, you often see things you might not have otherwise, or that pt was too embarassed to tell you.

Gompers, BSN, RN · May 10, 2005

Okay, since this thread is about male nurses giving baths, especially in nursing school, I just had to share this story...

When I was a sophomore in nursing school, we had our first clinical on an extended care floor with many elderly patients. While we didn't pass meds, we were expected to do full assessments with vital signs, bathing, and complete bedding changes. So one day one of the guys in the class was assigned to a female patient. She was able to get out of bed with assistance and had full use of her arms - so when he was giving her a sponge bath, he kept her gown on and avoided her breasts and privates. When he had finished his part, he gave her the washcloth and told her to wash herself in those areas, as we had been instructed to do. She said she was "so tired and weak" and couldn't he please do it for her? He didn't know what to do, so he ended up taking care of things himself. As he went to wash her privates, she started moaning, "ooooooh, that feels soooooo goooood..." and he shot out of that room like a bat of hell.

He was so embarrassed at the time, but by the end of the semester he was joking about it wth the rest of us. This was a totally random, rare occurance, but I just thought it would give you a chuckle.

After your first nursing clinical, you'll get over the bath thing. It's *usually* very professional, and as others have said, it's a great time to assess your patient. Your patients don't exactly love having to be bathed by someone else, so when you do a quick, professional job, and make them comfortable...they'll be so happy afterwards. They'll feel good, clean, and well cared for. Don't you remember being sick, and how great it felt when your parents bathed you and put you to bed on nice, clean, cool sheets? It's a wonderful feeling to make someone who is sick feel better with something as simple as that.

FEELYRN · May 10, 2005

Letting the patients help out as much as possible not only relieves your and their discomfort about "private areas" but also gives them a useful rehab tool (washing yourself IS exercise for some elderly patients) and a feeling of independence.

txspadequeenRN, BSN, RN · May 10, 2005

Giving baths is the best way to assess skin .......

zambezi, BSN, RN · May 10, 2005

Thanks, I've come to the conclusion that accidents will happen in the ER/OR and are unavoidable. I would be completely OK with that from time to time. It's just hard picturing myself washing someone else. It's got to be harder for guys to do that. You think? I can picture myself doing all kinds of things, but not bathing someone. It's disturbing in some way. I don't know if it's a nurturing thing (men aren't raised that way) or an ego thing or what. I'm considering going to school, but this isn't something I want to do alot of (if any at all hah hah). Just a hesitation on my part.

I think that you will be surprised about how fast you get used to seeing it as an important part of the job...(or mabye not, some really aren't into the bath thing). I work with a very high ratio of males and all of the are great bath givers...Not to say that they enjoy it but they realize the importance of of it...The goal is of course to let the patient do as much as they can for themselves...i usually just help with the back, feet/legs, and around the wires...as far as I am concerned people can do their own pericare (unless they can't and need to be cleaned and then I do it for them)...You will find a system that works for making both you and your patient comfortable...and the first couple of times you have a patient tell how how much better getting them washed up make them feel you will start to change your mind...(Its true, I hear it alot...)

roxburin · May 10, 2005

Wow! Thanks all for all the replies so far! It has been very helpful.

My main concern was washing men (being a man) which would be odd.

I suppose washing the elderly is a bit funky too.

There are nursing positions such as ER and OR where I would only have to prep the patient and not bathe them right? I'm not looking to be a nurse who does rounds per say. I've always been facinated by operating rooms and such.