Forced Bath's is this taking away a patients rights?

[Health-Nut]

I am woking this evening and we just had a CNA leave. She's saying she is very upset with how she's told to just go into a patients room and start bathing them while they are sleep and that it is her job to MAKE a patient let her give them a sponge bath, basically noone can really refuse a bath. She was called some horrible names by a pt, because she just went into his room and said it's time to get cleaned up, he refused because he was watching the game and wanted to wait until tomorrow but she said he had to anyway. Our management does make the CNA's do this and if they don't give baths they're written up. I am very surprised isn't that taking away patients rights.

[MarvinMartian]

I am woking this evening and we just had a CNA leave. She's saying she is very upset with how she's told to just go into a patients room and start bathing them while they are sleep and that it is her job to MAKE a patient let her give them a sponge bath, basically noone can really refuse a bath. She was called some horrible names by a pt, because she just went into his room and said it's time to get cleaned up, he refused because he was watching the game and wanted to wait until tomorrow but she said he had to anyway. Our management does make the CNA's do this and if they don't give baths they're written up. I am very surprised isn't that taking away patients rights.

As a CNA never and I mean NEVER do anything to any patient without their consent. This goes for patients with dementia as well. Sure, try to re-approach them or convince them but never make them.

It is illegal to make them do anything against their wish. In fact, if there is a patient that repeatedly refuses care it is the nurse's responsibility to see that this is addressed in their care plan. Period.

If you ever force someone to do something and state becomes involved your facility WILL throw you under the bus. If you have to take heat or even find another job for refusing then do it.

Don't let a nurse or anyone else bully you into violating someone's rights and putting your own license at risk.

ETA:

Really want to protect yourself and do the right thing? Get copies of the write-ups, document these occurrences and call APS.

It'll be BIG fun and you'll feel all good inside. You are your patient's advocate. Advocate for them.

[ChocoholicRN]

That's pretty harsh to write up a CNA because the patient refused a bed bath. Patients have the right to refuse meds and treatment, but nurses and doctor's don't get written up. So why should a CNA get written up for a patient refusing to be washed? The only reason I could see this policy being implemented is if there was a problem in the past with patients not getting washed at all and the hospital thought this new policy would work out best. At the hospital where I work there are plenty of patients who do not want to get washed when the CNA offers assistance. Either the patient is too sleepy, just showered the day before and may not shower every day, or just isn't feeling well at the time. The CNA will always notify the nurse if a patient is not washed, the patient will be offered one more chance later in the shift to wash up and if they still refuse, the patient is told they may not be able to wash up later because everyone may be busy. So what happens to the CNA at your facility if this happens freqeuntly? Sounds to me like it's taking away patients rights.

[mamamerlee, LPN]

There is a difference between baths in a hospital and in an LTC facility. Because of the high numbers of clients in an LTC, they are frequently on a bath schedule. Like Monday morning and Thursday evening. I certainly believe that the clients should be able to get their schedule changed or accomodated if need be. It might be a problem if everyone on this evening's schedule wanted to watch the game. But not if it was only one person.

What will they do on Super Bowl Sunday? !!!!

[Health-Nut]

APS whats that stand for?

[AngelfireRN, MSN, RN, APRN]

Adult Protective Services

[MarvinMartian]

Adult Protective Services

Yeah that.

[Health-Nut]

This is a Level 1 hospital not a LTC

[MarvinMartian]

This is a Level 1 hospital not a LTC

Shouldn't matter.

All states have 'Patient's Rights' laws that cover patients right to refuse...

ETA: Though, in that case I wouldn't know who to talk to...

[leslie :-D]

who needs aps????

some pts you can let slide, but there are pts who truly need a good cleaning.

if the pt refuses, it is then up to the nurse to step in and talk w/the pt.

i've done this many, many times, and even end up giving baths myself quite often.

so yes, a pt can refuse.

but an effective nurse will ensure one way or the other, that those certain pts get the 'treatment' they need.

leslie

[Midwest4me]

I work on psych unit and I feel there are rights we constantly violate but it's ok since there's a doctor's order! (rolling eyes). We used to have patients who required "hands on" for showers years ago. These pts were verbally and physically abusive to staff so needed 3-4 staff to shower them. There was a doctor's order to apply hands-on to escort the patient to the shower room and physically shower the patient due to his/her constant refusals and lack of hygiene. We don't have many of them anymore; most of our pts are higher-functioning now.

[RNperdiem, RN]

I wonder if she could have handled the situation better?

I used to work on a med-surg floor with many elderly who had dementia.

When it was bath time and the patient wasn't busy I would fill the wash bucket with warm water, hand a warm wet washcloth to Mr.X and say "Here is a warm, wet washcloth, Mr. X. Please wash your face."

To ask a patient, "Do you want a bath?" is to get a lot of "no" answers.