Bed Baths

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Hello, fellow nurses

This is my first post since I got my licence. I'm an LPN currently working continuous care with a hospice company. Whenever a pt goes into some sort of crisis they bring us in to provide round-the-clock care. This is all fine with me except for some aspects of care that I am not 100% comfortable with. In a few of these cases it's just me and my pt, and before my 12 hour night shift is over I have to leave the pt bathed and changed. I'm fine with the smells and sights of nursing that's not my issue. I don't want to hurt any of my pt's while I bathe them. I also see myself taking a long time doing the bed bath. I'v seen CNA's do it in a fraction of what it takes me. Any tips on how I can get better at these and provide my pt's with a safe, comfortable, and reassuring bed bath???

-Yadi LPN

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

Practice, practice, practice. Makes sure you have all the supplies at the bedside before you start. Make sure the water is hot. Only uncover the part you are washing and provide for privacy and dignity. Talk to the patient and let them know what is coming next.

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Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.
Practice, practice, practice. Makes sure you have all the supplies at the bedside before you start. Make sure the water is hot. Only uncover the part you are washing and provide for privacy and dignity. Talk to the patient and let them know what is coming next.

Good tips. OP, the task will get more comfortable for you, and faster, with time and experience. Don't worry. It's hard to do it non-awkwardly at first.

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The fact that you are asking this question and wanting to do better speaks volumes! With time and practice you will perfect the art of bed bathing and be able to finish more quickly. The general sequence I follow is to first prep my roll of my fitted sheet, flat sheet and chux, and also have a new gown and pillowcases ready. I like to use towels, foam soap or chlorhexidine and a basin filled with hot water. Clean eyes and face giving ears and neck attention. I wet one half of the towel and keep bottom half dry so i can clean and dry pt quickly. Use a differeng towel for each section. Cover with bath blanket as you clean. Finish by thoroughly wetting and washing perineum then turn pt over and clean their back before changing sheets.

Speed will come with time, practice and confidence.

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You write you work in hospice - my suggestion is to ensure that your patient is medicated sufficiently before you bath or reposition. The hospice RN should leave instructions or you call and ask if you are not sure. But giving pain medication, medication for shortness of breath, anxiety, or other medication 20 minutes before you want to start your bath is usually a good idea.

Medicate first. After that get everything you need - washcloths, water, linnen. You wash like you learned it in school, turn, change the linnen and reposition. Don't forget mouthcare.

If you know there will be some secretions running out make sure to have a washcloth handy to place so that your new linnen does not get dirty.

In hospice it is a lot about how the patient "looks" for the family - when you make sure that your patient is comfortable before you turn and wash it adds to more peace all around.

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Thank you so much! In theory I guess I'm pretty spot on, I just need more practice. That seems to be the common reply! Again thank you!

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YouTube has excellent training videos on any CNA, nursing, medical procedure you could imagine, including bed baths. These are bonified, certified, videos used in classrooms to teach medical personnel.

The only problem is the "patient" (a maniquin or even a person) is usually so cooperative, real life isn't as easy as these videos sometimes show, but still you get good ideas, tips, hints.

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