bed baths in hospital??? is 5am too early???

Sabby_NC · Oct 6, 2007

I think you need to do what is necessary but doing 5-6 baths out of 18 seems a wee bit high.

Check to see if there are any already awake and get those done after their observations are attended too

What is the staff ratio on days?

TDub, MSN, EdD · Oct 6, 2007

Why in the world are nights doing the baths? You don't have enough staff to do them. Days should be doing the baths after breakfast. And 5 am is inhumane. I think I'd be a rotten patient in a British hospital.

geordiegirl2 · Oct 7, 2007

hi
not been around much lately (disheartened:() anyway, theres been a bit of a discussion about bed bathing patients and doing their obs in the morning.. we start the work at 5am, which is pretty early, but if we dont start work at 5 the work doesnt get done and we get moaned at by the morning staff (morale is a bit low at the moment!)
we are expected to do 5-6 bedbaths on a ward of 18 patients, there are three staff on for the night, we dont do morning drugs, unless they are peg meds or NG, we do all the early IVs
a HCA from the nursing bank worked with me the other day, he refused point blank to wake anyone up that early saying it was cruel, and that people need their sleep I AGREE i said but if we dont, we end up in trouble (week before we only managed two washes as the morning didnt go to plan and the E grade shouted at me-another story which i wont bore you with!)
so the question is, is there anything you know of in print that would support his arguement, i have looked myself but am having no luck
cheers
claire

In the hospital I work at in the US patients are woken between 3-4am to have labs drawn so there ready for the docs when they round in the morning, not exactly patient centred care! so I think most of them would rather get be bathed then to then settle but regardless our night staff do none of that ,they give meds but thats about it.

I know there was a ton of evidence about the theraputic benefit of sleep but it will bequite old now, haven't checked recently but will have a look.

deeDawntee, RN · Oct 7, 2007

I would do a few baths on your midnight rounds if possible. Most people like to be cleaned up before they sleep. Do you do a set-up for people or are they total-assist or does it vary? I think doing about 1/3 of the baths on your shift is reasonable...to tell you the truth...If I were the patient, I would want to get cleaned up at some point, even if it meant 10 minutes less of sleep.

Silverdragon102, BSN · Oct 7, 2007

I worked nights for years and the only time I would do bed baths that early was if the patient needed it ie incontinent, only other exception I would say would be if the patient was already awake and had no objections to a wash that early. The staff became more appreciated of this when internal rotation came on and they saw that only 2 members of staff (covering 28 patients) couldn't do everything they wanted doing. We looked at other ways we could help the day staff instead of doing washes.

cheshirecat · Oct 7, 2007

To be doing 5 bed baths that early in the morning is inhumane. There is such a thing as Protective sleep. Next time the E grade shouts at you hold up your hand and say:

1. I do not like your attitude, it is a form of bullying. I will report you to management. Believe me, she will back down.

2. Complete an incident form saying you felt threatened by the E grade.

We all know in our hearts that bed bathing at 5am is a no no. I would only bedbath at that time if the patients condition warranted it ie they had been incontinant etc.

Also from a health and safety outlook it is bad to be doing excessive lifting and handling at the end of a long shift - staff are tired and may make mistakes. I worked on nights for years, and I know how much you have to do ie IVs etc at the end of your shift. Are you being expected to rush these in order to get the baths done?

RGN1 · Oct 7, 2007

If you woke me up at 5am to bath me I'd be arrested for assault!!

nightmare, RN · Oct 7, 2007

If you woke me up at 5am to bath me I'd be arrested for assault!!

Me too!! I'm thinking of getting little tattoo's saying "no I don't want a bed bath at 06.00! No I don't want the tv on the childrens channel,and if you try to get me up before 08.00 I will become combative!":devil:

allnurses Guide · Oct 7, 2007

If you woke me up at 5am to bath me I'd be arrested for assault!!

I was thinking the exact same thing

Silverdragon102, BSN · Oct 7, 2007

if me they would a) struggle to wake me b) be up on manslaughter never mind assault

TDub, MSN, EdD · Oct 8, 2007

In hospital in 1994, I was kept awake in a busy unit for about 3 days. I got to sleep maybe 2 or 3 hours a night. I was so crazy on the 4th night, about 3am, I came out, backed the poor nurse up against the wall and started sobbing and crying loudly and incoherently about for the love of god, let me sleep, please, please let me sleep, I'll go crazy if you don't all shut up, I mean it, I'll go nuts....

I think I scared the living tar out of her. she closed my door, gave me a sleeping pill (which they wouldn't let me have before) a glass of warm milk, a backrub and left me alone for 6 whole blessed hours. (they had been taking my vitals signs q 1 hour all that time because some idiot doc forgot to cancel the post op order and no one was smart enough to ask about it.)

I also left the next day AMA (against medical advice i.e. I stomped out of there in a huff) because they forgot to cath me during /before /after surgery and I had 1800 ccs in my bladder and so needed a Foley for a week, but that's another story.