Disgusted - wipes for bathing

[beeker]

At my facility, on my floor, we are to use the bath wipes for bathing out patients. We are instructed that using a basin with water & soap creates an unnecessary infection risk. The patients are not getting clean with bath wipes. I am a firm believer in soap and water to wash up. One of the aides complained to our manager that I was asking her to actually clean our patients, rather than hand them the wipes and leave them. My issue with her is really irrelevant, it doesn't matter which method, she is not going to put forth the effort to assist anyone with anything. I wish I had a patient load that allowed me time to help bath the patients. Patients need help reaching places they can't get regardless of wipes or clothes. But I talked the to the manager about my dislike for the wipes, and she said they are fine because people are not expecting to be really clean while in the hospital. It will have to do.

What do you all think about the wipes? I think in a pinch they would be ok if you were helping someone with them, but if someone is in the hospital for days at a time, they need to actually wash up! Nothing worse than seeing "bedbath complete" when the patient is still stinky.

[Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN]

Some of the patients I've seen come down to the OR have been absolutely filthy! The wipes are useless other than for quick freshening up, and our open heart patients have orders to get a real bath the night before surgery and the morning of. Some of the other surgeons are also writing such orders for other inpatients waiting for surgery. I think it's sad that an order has to be written for a patient to get a real bath.

[westieluv]

They are nasty, and the facility that I just left took it one step further and had dry shampoo caps. You put the cap on the patient, massage the powder inside the cap into their hair, then take the cap off. Now you have "pseudo" clean hair with a big build-up of powder in it. Gross!

[Do-over, ASN, RN]

I like the bag baths for peri care, or a quick "freshening up" - like for someone (A&O) that wakes up sweaty in the middle of the night. A bath, though, in my opinion, requires warm water, soap and towels.

Our shampoo caps are nice - they are soapy and wet and do a pretty decent shampoo...

[VictoriaGayle]

I'm all for using wipes between scheduled showers to keep them as fresh, comfortable and sanitary, but no baths? Ever?

And sweet_wild_rose that is ridiculous!

[DoGoodThenGo]

Some of the patients I've seen come down to the OR have been absolutely filthy! The wipes are useless other than for quick freshening up, and our open heart patients have orders to get a real bath the night before surgery and the morning of. Some of the other surgeons are also writing such orders for other inpatients waiting for surgery. I think it's sad that an order has to be written for a patient to get a real bath.

Suppose this is some *people's * way of cutting down on laundry bills and or staff. There was a time when "AM Care" on almost every ward/floor/unit would find aides/orderlies, and even nurses running around with basins of water, soap, washcloths, towels, etc and or escorting patients to showers/baths.

Can see using wipes for peri care especially cleaning up BM's especially today with so many more regulations regarding linen contaminated with almost any sort of body fluid/excretion (in the old days we just bunged washcloths/towels used to clean up feces into the same bags with the rest of the dirty linen), but come on, a wet wipe instead of a bath?

[nrsang97, BSN, RN]

I like the bag baths for peri care, or a quick "freshening up" - like for someone (A&O) that wakes up sweaty in the middle of the night. A bath, though, in my opinion, requires warm water, soap and towels.

Our shampoo caps are nice - they are soapy and wet and do a pretty decent shampoo...

Using the wet wipes or comfort bath for a quickie clean up is fine. I will not do a bath without soap and water. I bathe with soap and water and our patients expect the same.

[Stcroix, ASN, PhD, RN]

I was told a package of wipes is cheaper than a washcloth, soap, and two towels. I guess we know where they are coming from. The linen cart in the clean room has a sign that says something like "A 10% savings in linen saves.....blah blah".

[JZ_RN]

I don't use a wipe at home, I wouldn't expect to bathe with a wipe at the hospital. Get a basin, large towels to line the bed, drape, and dry, washcloths, warm water and soap. An effective bedbath can be refreshing, relieve the stench and is quite sanitary and hygienic. Wipes are for when you had a shower but then got sweaty or something. I washed patients (when I worked someplace where baths were given) we used soap, water, and towels. No one ever complained that the patients we'd bathed had any infection problems related to the baths and they were clean and satisfied. Smelled a lot better too. The problem is cheap management and not enough staff, so they're pushing these chintzy wipe things. No thanks.

Soap and water for life.

[OnlybyHisgraceRN, ASN, RN]

I hate the wipes, especially for pericare after a BM. All the wipes do is spread around the funk and germs. Back in the day we used basins with hot soap and water. I miss that!

[JZ_RN]

And frankly if it's about saving money on linens.

I don't pay for linens. I don't care about linens. I use whatever towels, blankets, and washcloths I need to at home.

When I get a bonus for avoiding "excessive" linen usage, we'll talk, but I'm not gonna let patient care suffer by using gross little wipes instead of a towel so the hospital can save a few bucks. H to the no.

[NurseCard, ADN]

Weird. In my facility we can't get WIPES, so we have to use washcloths, soap

and water EVERY time someone has an incontinence episode. I don't like it.

For an actual BATH though? Washcloths, towels, soap and water! No one

likes to have a bath while they're in the hospital?? Does your facility have a

mother/baby floor? I'm sure those new moms REALLY want to take a nice

bath with a bunch of wet wipes!!!!