Did you get their bath done? Seriously?

Bezoars · Mar 21, 2011

Wow... I guess I'm not a supernurse. We do have CNA's on the floor most of the time, but like us, they are short staffed and overworked too. I do put lots of emphasis on charting, I admit, but I like working with a valid license too (one I worked hard to get). My hospital likes not losing lawsuits apparently, so they stay on top of me to make sure charting is getting done and done appropriately. And, no, I don't stay late past shift to get it all done b/c I have a life and a family at home to care for too and I probably haven't had a moment to even empty my own bladder in 6 hrs. I can assure you that I don't sit and text, talk, gossip. I fact, I often feel like I'm moving at warp speed around the floor getting everything done and done properly.

I'm just trying to be reasonable... this isn't 1950. Nurses have sooooo much more responsibility now then they used too. We're like a balloon that you keep filling and eventually burst. My point is simply this: If you NEED a bath or you ask for help cleaning up, etc... you will get it, at some point, during my shift. If you go a day without one?... well, you won't die from it.

It's all about priorities... and with 6-7:1 ratios... we overworked nurses need cut some slack. Now you bump me down to 4 pts... I will make you feel like you're at the spa.:thankya:

imintrouble, BSN, RN · Mar 21, 2011

In a perfect world one aspect of nursing would never take back seat to the other. The business part would be the same as the caring, healing part. Charting and "caring" would receive equal time and importance.

I hate to be in the minority, and I don't like it when my posts sound antagonistic.

I was just on another thread where most posters were giving the advice to document, document, document. Documentation, properly and thoroughly done can save your job and your license. It is vital that charting be completed, and letting it slide is taking a big risk. When there are not enough hours in the shift to complete your job, through no fault of your own, how do you decide what gets done and what doesn't? I would suggest that those of you who propose letting the charting slide, have never been sitting in front of a panel of interrogators trying to answer questions when there is no documentation to back up your claims. At that time you may wish that you'd let the bath slide and done more thorough charting. On the other hand, I cannot imagine facing an angry family member trying to explain why bathing their loved ones was not on my list of priorities.

The OP flatly stated that obviously soiled and smelly pt's and linens were taken care of. I did not read into her post an indifference to her pt's needs, just a matter of fact explanation of her choices. We all know that hard choices have to be made in caring for pts. We have to decide who gets more time, who is most in need........it's part of what we do everyday without even thinking. Some days nursing is a crappy job and every choice is wrong. We do the best we can. What makes me go home depressed is the knowledge that sometimes my best is not good enough.

OldNurseEducator · Mar 21, 2011

Wow... I guess I'm not a supernurse. We do have CNA's on the floor most of the time, but like us, they are short staffed and overworked too. I do put lots of emphasis on charting, I admit, but I like working with a valid license too (one I worked hard to get). My hospital likes not losing lawsuits apparently, so they stay on top of me to make sure charting is getting done and done appropriately. And, no, I don't stay late past shift to get it all done b/c I have a life and a family at home to care for too and I probably haven't had a moment to even empty my own bladder in 6 hrs. I can assure you that I don't sit and text, talk, gossip. I fact, I often feel like I'm moving at warp speed around the floor getting everything done and done properly.
I'm just trying to be reasonable... this isn't 1950. Nurses have sooooo much more responsibility now then they used too. We're like a balloon that you keep filling and eventually burst. My point is simply this: If you NEED a bath or you ask for help cleaning up, etc... you will get it, at some point, during my shift. If you go a day without one?... well, you won't die from it.
It's all about priorities... and with 6-7:1 ratios... we overworked nurses need cut some slack. Now you bump me down to 4 pts... I will make you feel like you're at the spa.:thankya:

I'm sure if your patient really needed it, you would leave the paperwork (computer) charting for later. Not all patients need a bath or a change of linen daily, but a little help with a sick patient goes a long way. After all, if it weren't for the patients, we wouldn't have a job! Just sayin'.

Melody007_FNP-C, APRN · Mar 21, 2011

Being a nurse for 14 years I have always prided myself on helping with hygiene of my patients. I was a recent bedridden partially paralized, incontinent pt who thought the shower I got was better than the pain medications! I was in the hospital for 7 days, and 3 weeks later I had surgery at a different hospital. Night and day difference between the two hospitals. The one where I felt like someone cared was a non-profit and the hospital where I had my back surgery was a for-profit. The morning of surgery I was told to go to this room and my husband could not go since space was limited. Well after me calling on the call light and almost 2 hours of waiting someone finally came in and preceded to tell me how easy her job was! By the way I needed assistance to get undressed, etc. Being on both ends of the spectrum has me realizing how nursing has evolved even in the past 14 years! :crying2:

canchaser, BSN, RN · Mar 21, 2011

I agree with not doing a bath daily. I will do a PTA bath. I work in ICU, the skin is often dry so I am slathering them in lotion especially the feet. I hate dry scratchy skin on feet. And I only change the sheets as necessary, hospital is wanting us to cut down on linen.

Whispera, MSN, RN · Mar 21, 2011

I totally agree that not every patient needs a total bath each and every day. In fact, in some cases it's detrimental. Offering or completing the basics is important.

When I said let charting go in favor of comfort such as a bath, I didn't mean you don't chart at all. Of course you chart things that are important, but after awhile you begin to know what's necessary and what is just more paperwork. If I had to choose which to do very often, I'd surely be letting the powers-that-be that there's not enough help available to get everything done, and if that didn't help, I'd be looking around for other options for a workplace.

KalipsoRed · Mar 21, 2011

I can't stand all these people who are responding, "how do you feel if it where you" or "oh it makes the patient feel so much better". Hello?! The OP is just saying that it isn't a top priority. I work on a med-surg floor where it's me and the 6 to 8 patients. No aids, the other nurses have their 6 to 8, and I just have more important things to do. She's not saying that she wouldn't LIKE to do it, it's not a priority. Frankly I wouldn't want a nurse who made my bath more important than being safe in passing meds and checking orders. Family needs to pitch in; in todays nursing you are seriously disillusioned if you believe that we actually get to take holistic care of a patient. I can barley get by with 'safe' care and cover my butt charting. That's just the effing facts people, get off your high horse.

OldNurseEducator · Mar 21, 2011

I can't stand all these people who are responding, "how do you feel if it where you" or "oh it makes the patient feel so much better". Hello?! The OP is just saying that it isn't a top priority. I work on a med-surg floor where it's me and the 6 to 8 patients. No aids, the other nurses have their 6 to 8, and I just have more important things to do. She's not saying that she wouldn't LIKE to do it, it's not a priority. That's just the effing facts people, get off your high horse.

I think you need a vacation:clown:

Katie5 · Mar 21, 2011

Truth be told, when you're ill,a bath does go a long way in helping you feel better.

But when you can't do it, you can't do it. It is a hope that the next shift would be able to get it. Otherwise it reverts back to you and you do your darnest to get it this time:)

Cinquefoil · Mar 21, 2011

I'm a wee bit amazed that so few other people reading the OP realized that the whole post said something like, "I would like to have time to give full bed baths daily but my entire job pressures me away from this practice, so here's the way I bend over backwards to make sure my patients are relatively clean."

There comes a time when you don't blame the nurse for the care they give, you blame their workplace for putting the world on their shoulders so they can't do what they know is in their patients' absolutely best interest! When you're understaffed AND pressured by management in certain directions, you're forced to intelligently choose the lesser of unavoidable evils. :twocents:

On the other hand it is never good to avoid the question, "What more could I find a way to do?" I just don't see any indication that Bezoars has given up asking this question.

Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN · Mar 21, 2011

I agree with not doing a bath daily. I will do a PTA bath. I work in ICU, the skin is often dry so I am slathering them in lotion especially the feet. I hate dry scratchy skin on feet. And I only change the sheets as necessary, hospital is wanting us to cut down on linen.

Now there is a cost saving measure...........save the hospital money even thought the CEO makes 6 or 7 figured saleries.....................don't change the linnen..................brilliant..... :rolleyes:

sevensonnets · Mar 21, 2011

We do "gang baths" in our ICU. Everybody pitches in; you do this half, I'll do the other and we'll meet in the middle. One nurse to wash the face and do oral care and one nurse to get the linens ready before we flip them over. Heck, all hands on deck and you can get a complete B&B done in 5 minutes. It requires teamwork but it also inspires us to work together; nobody's sitting at the desk while somebody else is struggling. Sadly I think, the teamwork concept seems to have gone by the wayside in other units.