Dumb question...How do you clean up poop?

[NEMurse95]

Pardon me for being a stupid student nurse. But can someone please tell me how to clean up poop in a thorough manner. Do you use disposable dry wipes + incontinence lotion OR do you use wash clothes and throw them in the hamper to be washed? Also, do you usually clean the sheets every time a patient poops? And give them a new gown? Sorry for being ignorant to such an easy task.

[brownbook]

Ohhh Brownbook, thank you so much for sharing this. I found the video and had a really good laugh.

Yeah, it took that CNA longer to set it up than an experienced CNA could clean 3 patients.

[jennylee321]

I'm just trying to imagine the patient's reaction of being rigged up in that thing. I also like how it warns not to keep the patient up there, like "hold on a second another call bells ringing, I'll be back" í ½í¸‚í ½í¸‚

[tara07733]

I'm just trying to imagine the patient's reaction of being rigged up in that thing. I also like how it warns not to keep the patient up there, like "hold on a second another call bells ringing, I'll be back" ������������

[Julius Seizure]

When I was checking YouTube for videos about changing incontinent patients, the first video on the list is for a product, the LavinLift Strap. A strap goes around the patient's thighs and lifts them up with a mechanical lift device, just like you do with your arms with a baby.

I'm just imagining the time that you go to use this and find that the half the bed has been soiled....its not gonna work out!

I'm just trying to imagine the patient's reaction of being rigged up in that thing. I also like how it warns not to keep the patient up there, like "hold on a second another call bells ringing, I'll be back" ������������

My favorite was "this is not intended to be used as a restraint".

[Orion81RN]

Not a dumb question at all. With 10 years combined CNA and nursing experience, I recently had my 1st patient with a j-tube who's diaper I had to change. So when I changed her diaper for the 1st time and saw the very large mushy/runny mess, I thought, "How?!!!" Wipes were not going to cut it. I had to get creative wuth Chux to wipe most of it away before using wipes. Ughhh not to mention it being all in her pubic hair.

[txmurse69]

Cleaning up poop is NOT an easy task. :) I concur with using warm, wet

washcloths. Shaving cream also works wonders to clean the patient and

leave a nice smell. For smaller messes, warm wet wipes are fine.

Shaving cream works wonders especially with tube feed poo! Watch and learn from the career CA's during your clinical's. They are the experts at fast, efficient and effective clean up.

[TriciaJ, RN]

I agree with the washcloth and soapy water routine if too big a mess for wipes. To clarify: half-fill a plastic basin with hot soapy water and submerge several washcloths. Have your hamper right there. Each washcloth touches the bum once and gets dropped into the hamper. (I'm saying this because I worked with a nurse once who was not used to doing this. She had the idea to rinse the washcloth in the basin and take another pass with it. UGH.) Have a stack of clean washcloths handy in case you need to submerge some more.

If the linens are unscathed, they can stay on. Hope this helps.

[3ringnursing, BSN]

You will quickly discover if you use any method other than washing with mild soap and rinsing with plenty of warm water that skin breakdown occurs rather quickly.

Stool (poop) contains digestive enzymes - it's primary function is to help breakdown food to be used by your body. Using only wipes to clean leaves microscopic traces of stool and enzymes behind that goes to work breaking down the skin - this will create a spectacular rash which is extremely painful (many first time mother's and father's find this out the hard way).

Laundry services that deal with health care super sanitize their linens, towels and washcloths - they've seen it all from blood to stool on everything they launder.

Yes, you must change the sheets and gown of the patient EVERY SINGLE TIME.

Apply a good barrier cream to skin. Keep an eye on that skin too if the patient is incontinent, it will suffer fast if not properly cared for.

Speaking of new parents - I had found out about the using diaper wipes only the hard way myself (and I was a new grad RN). What I learned helped my patients. We all have to learn the right way - it's better to ask if you aren't sure.