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

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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.

who needs aps????:confused:

I think healthnut is dealing with nurses that won't step in to the situation. The aide can only do so much and many aides when backed between a patient and a pushy nurse tend to fold to the nurse. Especially new aides.

I only mentioned APS because I assumed they were at a LTC. In any case it is 2010 and it's LONG past time that facilities and nurses get away with this stuff.

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yeah getting written up for one missed bath definitely seems a little extreme. if the patient refused the bath, the cna should probably have let the patient know she would give him time to rest and watch tv and would try to come back later. if he refused again, i would have went to my charge nurse or manager and let them know that this patient was refusing a bath numerous times, at least to cover her own butt.

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Specializes in Med/Surg.

Patients have the right to refuse, and I know I would if someone came in to the room and started bathing me while I was still asleep! You kind of have to, I don't know, ask first?? Tell them what you are going to do BEFORE you do it?

Wow.

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Although this certainly is a hygeine issue i would be cautious and rather reluctant to force a patient to take a bath, especially a sponge bath. I would rather leave them be if they refuse and keep very detailed notes of their refusal such as time requested, exact response received from patient, date, and how many times in that day you have requested them to bathe so far. This will help cover you if claims are made about failing to keep the patient clean, also refer this to the next nurse or doctor on shift so they are aware of it and also family members. I would rather handle it this way than force them and have some kind of claims of abuse, assault, or sexual misconduct made against you for forcing them to have a sponge bath. Patients have a right to refuse treatment, including bathing.

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Dear CNa". While my husband was in the hospital for a stress test and we were under the assumption he was going home a CNA who admitted she was to lazy to further her career (in our state they can be hired off the street and trained) tried to insist she give my husband a bath. We declined saying he was just in and going home or so we thought. After his test we were still under the assumption that he would be coming home. But, no they changed their minds. So we asked if he could take a shower. She wanted to go in with him. We said he was capabvle of showering himself. Further more if I am there I will bathe my husband or get a male to do it if I need assistance. I will only accept help from a female with my private needs and from this pioint on we will insist on a male to help with those needs. You in our state should not be able to assist anyone of the opposite sex with pkrivate area needs.

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Dear CNa". While my husband was in the hospital for a stress test and we were under the assumption he was going home a CNA who admitted she was to lazy to further her career (in our state they can be hired off the street and trained) tried to insist she give my husband a bath. We declined saying he was just in and going home or so we thought. After his test we were still under the assumption that he would be coming home. But, no they changed their minds. So we asked if he could take a shower. She wanted to go in with him. We said he was capabvle of showering himself. Further more if I am there I will bathe my husband or get a male to do it if I need assistance. I will only accept help from a female with my private needs and from this pioint on we will insist on a male to help with those needs. You in our state should not be able to assist anyone of the opposite sex with pkrivate area needs.

This thread is six and a half years old. The OP hasn't posted since January 2010 and is probably not hanging around waiting for answers to her/his post.

If you wish to discuss scholastically unmotivated CNAs or your husband's experiences while being hospitalized, perhaps it's better to start a new thread?

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You in our state should not be able to assist anyone of the opposite sex with pkrivate area needs.

That's absurd. If the patient requests that, fine. But many patients don't mind, as long as the interaction remains professional. And mandating such a thing would not work with most units because the % of female caregivers continues to be significantly more than the % of male caregivers.

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
That's absurd. If the patient requests that, fine. But many patients don't mind, as long as the interaction remains professional. And mandating such a thing would not work with most units because the % of female caregivers continues to be significantly more than the % of male caregivers.

Totally agree! Plus what if there are no male CNAs or nurses on the unit? Is the PP gonna request a male nurse or aide come from a different unit to help you? It doesn't work that way.

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Specializes in ICU.
Dear CNa". While my husband was in the hospital for a stress test and we were under the assumption he was going home a CNA who admitted she was to lazy to further her career (in our state they can be hired off the street and trained) tried to insist she give my husband a bath. We declined saying he was just in and going home or so we thought. After his test we were still under the assumption that he would be coming home. But, no they changed their minds. So we asked if he could take a shower. She wanted to go in with him. We said he was capabvle of showering himself. Further more if I am there I will bathe my husband or get a male to do it if I need assistance. I will only accept help from a female with my private needs and from this pioint on we will insist on a male to help with those needs. You in our state should not be able to assist anyone of the opposite sex with pkrivate area needs.

Do you work in healthcare? You think nobody should be able to help those of the opposite sex with a shower? Insecure much?

Sorry to say that, but your fear is ridiculous. I can assure you when I bathe my patients I don't think of them sexually. The CNA wanted to accompany your husband to ensure he didn't fall. It's their job. You would probably be the first to sue the hospital if he did fall in the shower.

I don't mean to be rude, but your post is silly. People need to get over themselves and think we are thinking about the opposite sex sexually. I promise, the shower or bath was not, and I repeat not the highlight of her day.

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Specializes in ICU.
This thread is six and a half years old. The OP hasn't posted since January 2010 and is probably not hanging around waiting for answers to her/his post.

If you wish to discuss scholastically unmotivated CNAs or your husband's experiences while being hospitalized, perhaps it's better to start a new thread?

I also wanted to add, so what if the CNA wanted to stay a CNA? I don't get that. If she is happy in her job, and makes enough money to live, why does she have to further her career? I know people who are very happy being techs. They don't need to work and make more money. Plus, they don't have the added stress. She probably had a significant other who makes good money.

That post just angered me. And the fact they came to the Internet, a nursing forum, irritates me further.

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I also wanted to add, so what if the CNA wanted to stay a CNA? I don't get that. If she is happy in her job, and makes enough money to live, why does she have to further her career? I know people who are very happy being techs.

I absolutely agree.

I see only two possible reasons for including the nonessential judgmental adjective (lazy). Either the poster for some personal reason has a negative view of CNAs which affects his narrative or it was included with the intent to provoke a reaction. Either way, it's in my opinion not worth getting angry over.

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Specializes in ICU.
I absolutely agree.

I see only two possible reasons for including the nonessential judgmental adjective (lazy). Either the poster for some personal reason has a negative view of CNAs which affects his narrative or it was included with the intent to provoke a reaction. Either way, it's in my opinion not worth getting angry over.

You are exactly right. And unfortunately, I fed into it.

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