Do you give back-rubs and foot baths to your patients?

[silt]

As a rule, if I'm not too tired, I always give backrubs and take care of my patients feet and legs. I do this on all of them. Others only wash their face and hands and that constitutes a bath. I am sometimes not done until 10:15 at night. Sometimes I'm questioned about why I took so long and I just tell them, "I did complete care on all of them."

No one really argues.

[VictoriaGayle]

When I gave showers I would offer lotion and massage it in. They usually wanted it on their back and feet, it made them more comfortable. I lot of our residents had very dry skin that would crack or tear easily, and dry skin is very itchy and uncomfortable. Plus most of them had back and foot pain which that helped.

It wasn't a full blown massage or anything that would be akward.

I never really thought much of it, I always did that for my great grandma before she passed so it just seemed normal to me.

I mean they need the lotion any way, why not aply it like that?

[imintrouble, BSN, RN]

Due to a complicated personal history, I simply can't rub backs.

Neither can I stand for someone to come up behind me and rub my shoulders.

We all bring a ton of baggage with us when we enter any arena of our lives. Sometimes we can ignore the baggage and sometimes we can't.

[mom_coach_nurse, LPN]

Due to a complicated personal history, I simply can't rub backs. Neither can I stand for someone to come up behind me and rub my shoulders. We all bring a ton of baggage with us when we enter any arena of our lives. Sometimes we can ignore the baggage and sometimes we can't.

I'm in a similar boat. And until this thread, it never occurred to me, that as a nurse, I'd have to scratch someone's back, or give them back rubs. :-/ I don't even do this for my husband.

[Luckyyou, BSN, RN]

Back rubs, foot rubs, a good scalp massage...heck, if they're really cranky I'll sit and snuggle with them for an hour or so. Of course, things are a little different in the NICU.

[Aeterna, BSN, RN]

I've never done the foot bath thing. However, if I'm doing a bath and the patient is able to sit up on their own or turn on their side for long enough, I'll rub some lotion into their backs. Usually, even on the busy days, I can spare an extra couple of minutes to do that much.

[nursel56]

I get where everyone is coming from with this, and the reasons are part of my rationale for believing nursing schools should not pressure students to give each other baths.

I guess it's actually possible to be a nurse nowadays and never actually touch your patient's skin.

[agrayRN, MSN, APRN, NP]

I really admire you for doing that for your patients. It shows how much you truly care about them. I have social anxiety, so something like that would be really intimidating for someone with my personality. It's a closeness with patients that I would love to be able to experience as a nurse - it would just be a bit too awkward for me to do that with someone I don't know well. But that's how Jesus intended for us to interact with people - with love. :) Actually, your post made me immediately think about how Jesus would wash his disciples' feet. I really think you are doing a great thing, and I'm sure your patients appreciate it, too.

[turnforthenurse, MSN, NP]

When I put lotion on a patient's back and feet/legs I massage it in. It isn't awkward that way. What *was* awkward though was then I was applying lotion to one of my male patients and he started groaning...

As for just a massage/foot rub, I don't routinely do it unless a patient requests it. I won't deny them it.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

I certainly wish I could. Your post does not indicate what area or , in what capacity you deliver your care.

In my world...(acute care hospital setting)....this level of care is impossible.

The patients should be giving ME a foot rub.

[flyingchange]

I've done it. One patient who had been lying awake with cancer pain for a couple of days fell asleep and didn't need a PRN med until the morning. I don't find it awkward at all, but those patients were all shocked when I offered it.

[Rags2Riches RN]

As a nursing student whenever I had a patient who needed lotion/cream applied I would massage it in. But back-rubs & foot massages will depend on what area of nursing you are in. Since becoming an RN and working in psych, I can tell you that I have never done it and for various reasons. Some of the patients I encounter have a history of sexual abuse that they have not dealt with yet, some are sexually preoccupied and just plain ole creepers, and mostly the patients I deal with are able-bodied & can do it themselves if they really want it.

[SwansonRN]

I massage barrier cream onto my patients backs and feet everyday. It's not really so much as an offer as it is...this is what I'm doing because your skin is my responsibility while you're bedridden here. I work in an ICU btw. I would have no problem if the patient asked for a massage as long as it was for a therapeutic reason