Changing kids clothes and cleaning them

Amethya · Nov 2, 2017

I do not clean or change students. I call parents and ask them to do this. If I have the available clothes for the child, I will give them the clean clothes and wipes and ask them to go clean themselves up.

Farawyn · Nov 2, 2017

Do not do it. Seriously.

MrsNurse08 · Nov 2, 2017

I do not clean or change students. I call parents and ask them to do this. If I have the available clothes for the child, I will give them the clean clothes and wipes and ask them to go clean themselves up.

And that's exactly what I told her to do, thanks!

MrsNurse08 · Nov 2, 2017

Do not do it. Seriously.

Right Farawyn! She felt bad for not cleaning him up and she said she thought it would be out of good deed, until I explained to her what the possible outcome could be.

WineRN · Nov 2, 2017

Maybe I'm making a newbie mistake...but for me It depends on how comfortable they are with their life skills.

There are some students I can lay the extra clothes out and bag for dirty clothes and explain that they need to clean themselves before changing and they will do just fine.

But there are a few of my special ed and young kinders that I stay in the bathroom with, having the door slightly propped open if there is no para with the kid to be in there too and I start by prompting them and help when needed. I have a lot of kindergartens this year that JUST made the cut off to start school in the fall and they are finally getting used to doing things themselves. I've had multiple ones tell me that their parents still wipe them on a regular basis.

And then there are some who say they can do it themselves and then come out of my bathroom still stinky because they didn't change their underwear.

JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN · Nov 2, 2017

Maybe I'm making a newbie mistake...but for me It depends on how comfortable they are with their life skills.
There are some students I can lay the extra clothes out and bag for dirty clothes and explain that they need to clean themselves before changing and they will do just fine.
But there are a few of my special ed and young kinders that I stay in the bathroom with, having the door slightly propped open if there is no para with the kid to be in there too and I start by prompting them and help when needed. I have a lot of kindergartens this year that JUST made the cut off to start school in the fall and they are finally getting used to doing things themselves. I've had multiple ones tell me that their parents still wipe them on a regular basis.
And then there are some who say they can do it themselves and then come out of my bathroom still stinky because they didn't change their underwear.

Bless you elementary nurses. This is why I work with the older kids. I will totally take puberty over this.

OyWithThePoodles, RN · Nov 2, 2017

I've cleaned up kinders (and obviously the spec. need kids who cannot clean themselves).

I've called the parent to make sure it was okay, of course they are going to say yes because who wants to leave work to clean up poop. And I always have someone in there with me. Usually the IA from the kinder room. With ones that little, they truly have trouble cleaning themselves, end up stepping in it, and getting in on their hands then touching EVERYTHING! So I help with permission and assistance. Any older than that and I make them do it themselves.

I will add, if the kid says no, I don't do it. I don't want to make them uncomfortable AT ALL! I had one kinder last year tell me no after I had permission. I then called mom back to let her know she would have to come, she wasn't happy, but I didn't care.

MrsNurse08 · Nov 2, 2017

Bless you elementary nurses. This is why I work with the older kids. I will totally take puberty over this.

LOL Yes! But try having both..smh

MrsNurse08 · Nov 2, 2017

I've cleaned up kinders (and obviously the spec. need kids who cannot clean themselves).
I've called the parent to make sure it was okay, of course they are going to say yes because who wants to leave work to clean up poop. And I always have someone in there with me. Usually the IA from the kinder room. With ones that little, they truly have trouble cleaning themselves, end up stepping in it, and getting in on their hands then touching EVERYTHING! So I help with permission and assistance. Any older than that and I make them do it themselves.
I will add, if the kid says no, I don't do it. I don't want to make them uncomfortable AT ALL! I had one kinder last year tell me no after I had permission. I then called mom back to let her know she would have to come, she wasn't happy, but I didn't care.

Yeah but it's a NO! All the way around for me.

KKEGS, MSN, RN · Nov 2, 2017

In my district we can give guidance to the students to clean themselves up. If they can't we call a parent. If it's a SPED student that requires help with toileting then the para assigned to them does it. Basically we don't help with toileting.

BeckyESRN · Nov 2, 2017

In my district we can give guidance to the students to clean themselves up. If they can't we call a parent. If it's a SPED student that requires help with toileting then the para assigned to them does it. Basically we don't help with toileting.

Same here. In a similar topic, I cannot believe the number of 1st graders that have never put their own pants on!