Can a nurse cut patient's hair without consent?

[runslikeanose]

I'm a nursing student and my professor was performing a bed bath, linen change, and wound care with our class on a patient who was unresponsive and obese. It was difficult cleaning and moving the patient, and the patient wasn't alert. It took 6 of us because of the patient's size. Problems with this patient: when lifting a flap of the patient's fat to clean, a bug jumped out which surprised us, and the professor immediately put us into PPE. The patient also had impaired skin integrity of the backside because of her size, inability to reposition on her own, and incontinence. The patient's hair was supposedly extremely matted and dirty and uncombable, and the professor got a bandage roll scissor and started cutting the patient's hair off, without consent of the nurses or the patient. The patient had near shoulder length hair and it ended up chopped up to about three inches in length. I did not personally see the condition of the patient's hair because there were 6 of us and I was at the end of the bed. I proceeded to ask the professor why she was cutting the patient's hair, and another student shushed me. I was confused and waited until post-conference to ask the professor. Another student said that I shouldn't say out loud next time because the patient would hear me. I felt frustrated because isn't it the right of the patient to know any treatment, regardless medical or cosmetic done to her? Isn't going behind her back violating her autonomy, despite her lack of alertness? This was a med-surg unit.

[ixchel]

I must say, though, that I have seem waaayyyy more than my fair share of vulvas over the years, and have yet to see pubic hair that was, um, exuberant enough to wrap around and/or obstruct a foley. And now that I've stated that fact for the record, I am sure one of my patients will helpfully prove me wrong on Monday. lol :)

Could you even imagine? Honestly, the only way I could see this happening is if it became matted which would require 1-lack of pericare and onset of lady partsl discharge (so total neglect of foley maintenance for at least several shifts because it would have to dry then tangle), or 2-the hair being that way at admission, which you would think was addressed at insertion time by clippers, soap, and water prior to insertion because you'd be giving them a UTI for sure.

[ixchel]

I feel like in the cases most of the other posters are talking about they had pretty significant reasons to cut the hair. But in your case I can't understand why other measures were not taken before cutting it. Why not try washing it and see if it can be untangled?

Who says this attempt wasn't already made? The only perspective and conversation shared is the OP's. OP is a nursing student who was given this one glance into this patient's care. We don't know length of admission, we don't know what conversations took place between the primary nurse and instructor, and we don't know what care was already given.

[cricket0414]

No, this was not appropriate - shame on your instructor. Although I don't think much of the facility that left her in that condition in the first place. There are easy enough ways to cleanse someone's hair when the are obese and bedridden.

[Exhuasted]

Who says this attempt wasn't already made? The only perspective and conversation shared is the OP's. OP is a nursing student who was given this one glance into this patient's care. We don't know length of admission, we don't know what conversations took place between the primary nurse and instructor, and we don't know what care was already given.

If you'll continue reading you'll see that I said I would like to know the surrounding circumstances.

[ixchel]

If you'll continue reading you'll see that I said I would like to know the surrounding circumstances.

Forgive me. It appears I didn't "hear" what you were "saying" in the way that you meant it.

[LambChop]

I am a recent patient of 4 days in the local hospital. Just had my follow-up and their best guess of what was wrong, was that I was borderline UTI. They couldn't be sure. But I was very sick. My son AND my POA were there daily for me. At some point in the first 48 hrs, someone took it upon themselves to cut 15 inches off my hair, then braid it in a strange way to boot. I saw it for the first time when I arrived back home. ONLY I, MY FRIENDS AND MY FAMILY CAN KNOW WHAT MY HAIR MEANS TO ME OR ANY FEMALE IN MY FAMILY. Hair and caring for it and wearing it was a bond between me and my granddaughter. It's a huge thing in our family. We are crushed. They cut my hair up to just below the shoulder. I look in the mirror and I look at the years lost, the interaction with my girl over it gone. It's a life altering big deal for me. It's the one area of my existence just could not change. Yet it did, FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER. My hair was clean and exceptionally well kept. Also, no mention in any NOTES about it being cut. Please, take a woman's mental and emotional health into your care equally along with the physical. They absolutely go hand in hand. How would you like a pair of scissors to be taken to your own hair? Thank you for hearing me out. God bless you and special work you do.