Do you have time to give baths?

[stellaRN1983]

Hi,

I usually have 4 patients and rarely have time to give baths. If they're a walker-talker. Its easy to get them to the shower. I give partial baths to total care patients if they're soiled but just don't have time to give baths/change linen (especially with so much charting to do!). Any one else have this problems?

[stefanyjoy]

This thread is grossing me out. I understand that everyone has a huge patient load and has little time, but something needs to be done.

CDC reports approx 90,000 pts die each year in the U.S from hospital-aquired infections - more deaths than breast cancer and AIDS combined. More than 2 milliion patients develop infection during their stay.

[Poi Dog]

I am a CNA and I make sure to bathe my patients. I have one patient who is total care and it is obvious when he has not had a bath (sweaty, greasy hair, body odor). He is scheduled to for 3x weekly shower and I have seen the CNA's bust out the wipes on him and call it a day. I think the CNA's do that to them and others if the patient cannot talk. I believe that that is abuse and neglect. A bed bath just does not cut it.

It really breaks my heart when patients are not cleaned up. I put myself in their shoes and it would drive me insane to be left there without being cleaned up.

I have mentioned this to the DON of nursing and was told "I'll look into it." I hate those four words. Why? Because nothing changes. What about the rights of the patients? I am advocating for the patient yet my concerns fall on deaf ears.

Ahh, this post turned into a rant...my apologies.

[April, RN, BSN, RN]

CDC reports approx 90,000 pts die each year in the U.S from hospital-aquired infections - more deaths than breast cancer and AIDS combined. More than 2 milliion patients develop infection during their stay.

I would think many of those are related to surgical incisions, central lines, and ventilators, and not from missing a bed bath.

[NurseOnAMotorcycle, ASN, RN]

wow, 5-10 mins? that's gotta be a record. Heck, sometimes it takes that long for the water to warm up and for me to get some washcloths and towels together.

1. warmer with disposable wipes

2. not all patients need to be bathed in bed (walk/talk)

So yes, grab some wipes and do a scrub down for the patient during assessments. 5-10 minutes. Max.

[ObtundedRN, BSN, RN]

1. warmer with disposable wipes

2. not all patients need to be bathed in bed (walk/talk)

So yes, grab some wipes and do a scrub down for the patient during assessments. 5-10 minutes. Max.

I personally don't believe those wipes equate to a bath. I hate those things. There are a few units in my hospital that are doing a study using CHG wipes after the bed bath, to see if it helps to reduce the incidence of MRSA.

1. So far the study does not show an improvement.

2. I know for a fact (seen it with my own two eyeballs) that nurses will bathe someone with the wipes only and chart it as a bed bath, because they think they didn't have time to do a real bath first and think the wipes are good enough.

Those wipes don't get a person clean. I can always tell when someone got a bath from those wipes. They still smell, have dirt on them, and look greasy. They are a waste of your time and money.

[NurseOnAMotorcycle, ASN, RN]

Really? I'm interested in seeing the results. Sounds like I may be switching things up.

[Bruce_Wayne, ASN, RN]

I wonder what kind of CHG wipes you're using? Our ICU is doing a study with those too and as per the study those wipes and plain water are the only thing we're allowed to clean pts with right now. But they do a pretty good job, in my honest opinion. They get a good lather on themselves and really help with body odor.

We keep them in a warmer and we use 3 packs for one bath. They make the skin feel tacky for a little while after the bath but that dries and then they're clean.

I think they're inferior to using soap and water but better than other non-chg wipes. Maybe different brands do better or worse than others.

[ChristineN, BSN, RN]

I would personally love to see some documentation that shows that daily baths is a JACHO requirement. I've worked in JACHO certified facilities my whole career and never heard of this listed as a reason, and employers love to use "JACHO" as a reason, so I feel I would have heard by now.

[ToughLover]

I work nights in ICU and all our patients are supposed to get bathed at night. When we have a tech they're supposed to do it but we only have one tech that will actually get them done. The other techs we have to find in the breakroom and request a bath get done. But a lot of nights we don't have a tech and then we have to do it ourselves. And it always gets done unless it's just too crazy but even then they get the essentials washed. Honestly the RNs do most everything ourselves here. Our techs hate getting floated to the floors because then they have to do a ton of work.

[ObtundedRN, BSN, RN]

I wonder what kind of CHG wipes you're using? Our ICU is doing a study with those too and as per the study those wipes and plain water are the only thing we're allowed to clean pts with right now. But they do a pretty good job, in my honest opinion. They get a good lather on themselves and really help with body odor.

We keep them in a warmer and we use 3 packs for one bath. They make the skin feel tacky for a little while after the bath but that dries and then they're clean.

I think they're inferior to using soap and water but better than other non-chg wipes. Maybe different brands do better or worse than others.

The CHG wipes at my hospital don't lather. They are not meant to be used with water to lather and wash with. They are basically a giant Chlora-prep wipe. They are supposed to be used after a real bath. My problem is the nurses who don't give a real bath and just wipe them down with these wipes. If they were used with water and formed a lather, I would probably be a little more accepting to the idea.

[RNforLongTime]

Then I hear about OT. It is not that most nurses do not want to help but who will do their charting and assessments and call the MDs when needed? I was an aide and am now a nurse so I understand both sides. When I was an aide I thought some of the nurses were lazy too. I did not realize they were sitting down charting for their lives so as not to have management get after them for OT.

Actually the LPN's I worked with at the LTC facility did NOT do any charting, they simply passed meds to the same residents at the same time EVERY day. Most residents were on the exact same meds.....they were just lazy, plain and simple because the Charge RN at the front desk was the one doing the majority of the charting, assessments and calling the Dr's NOT the LPN's.

[CynicallyVexed]

do you work in a hospital or LTC? i work in a hospital and our RNs would laugh if they were asked to do any of the above mentioned.

At the last hospital I worked at your RN's would laugh, are DON is insane, on acute care floors they have gave CNA's 10 patients a piece, 8-10 patients for the LPNs, and 5-8 patients for the RNs...

RN's Duties : VS, TOTAL CARE (bathes, call lights, assist to the bathroom, turns, everything the CNA's do) plus all the regular RN duties of dealing with the docs, chart checks, getting paperwork ready for surgery or procedure, assessments, ect..

LPNs Duties: VS, medpass and assist RN

CNA Duties: this is quoted.. "Q1hr rounds on patients check and see if they need anything, make sure falls precautions are in place, pass trays, and help RN's with total care if time allows!"

So what do our CNA's do? Nothing anymore no joke... The DON says she wants the RN's in the rooms more often but she is also starting complain now that patients are not getting the bathes like they should, which I can see why they are not cause before this came in place the RN's were busy enough dealing with orders, doctors, and families!!!!!

Which is why I left. I think if we have CNA's they should be entitled to do everything they can within their scope for patient care, that is what they are there for, just like LPN's and RN's and like a stair case, what the CNA can not do the LPN will do within their scope and what the LPN's can't do the RN will do within their scope. you know what I mean?

When I was a CNA on the floors we had to give baths to all our patients, and when i was in the ICU, half of the unit got a bath and any that did a major poo or got messy during a beside procedure got a bath. I always had time to give my baths as CNA and my people looked good cause I took my time with them and lotioned them up, ect!