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

Nurses General Nursing

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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.

The word lazy was used because the said CNA told us when asked if she was going on to school said (no I am to lazy to go further. I don't want to study). How does this make a patient feel. In our private areas we should have a same sex person available if we need help. If a spouse or loved one is there they should be asked if they would like to take care of the needs. My husband and I felt humiliated by the treatment and her escorting him into shower. He would not undress with her in there and she came out and said okay if he needs help you can go in. We are older peopl.e. If we ned help we help each other. Ask what we feel comfortable with. Don't just say you are going to bath us. Don't tll a patient it is okay for you to do private area care when you are only trained off the street. Beauticians and car mechanics in our state have more training than a CNA or Ma that our medical establishment has give full reign to see and touch our bodies. I feel and a lot of others are like me. We need to say what happens to our bodies and who can and will be present in a state of undress. Are ther a lot of good CNAs or MAs out there. Yes but should they be trained off the street? NO

Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
The word lazy was used because the said CNA told us when asked if she was going on to school said (no I am to lazy to go further. I don't want to study). How does this make a patient feel. In our private areas we should have a same sex person available if we need help. If a spouse or loved one is there they should be asked if they would like to take care of the needs. My husband and I felt humiliated by the treatment and her escorting him into shower. He would not undress with her in there and she came out and said okay if he needs help you can go in. We are older peopl.e. If we ned help we help each other. Ask what we feel comfortable with. Don't just say you are going to bath us. Don't tll a patient it is okay for you to do private area care when you are only trained off the street. Beauticians and car mechanics in our state have more training than a CNA or Ma that our medical establishment has give full reign to see and touch our bodies. I feel and a lot of others are like me. We need to say what happens to our bodies and who can and will be present in a state of undress. Are ther a lot of good CNAs or MAs out there. Yes but should they be trained off the street? NO

Don't come on here bashing people's profession. It's rude & uncalled for. Not every person has issues with aides as you do. Also, take note, that there might not have been a male CNA to be with your husband. They certainly are not going to get an aide from another unit just to help with *one* patient. The woman was just doing her job, I don't know why she is getting grilled over it.

I am just appalled that you would come on to a forum called ALLNURSES & bash a CNA. They are a great help & really benefit nurses a lot. If you're going to gripe, take it else where because this is just disgusting. The aide did nothing wrong. Ugh.

I want to add that just because that CNA doesn't want to go to school it doesn't make her a bad person. School is not for everyone. My husband doesn't have a college degree, but he has a great job. I don't know why it is such a sore subject with you. What does it matter? How does her life choices about school affect you?

I am not bashing the profession of nurses. I am bashing that CNA because she was inappropriate. We as patients do have rights. One of those is to retain our modesty and dignity. I got to this site because of a daughter in law in the profession and the site on patient modesty. Onthis occaision in the hospital my husband had the most wonderful RNs to care for him. We had another CNA who was wonderful and wants to get an continue with her learning and get a Rn degree. This CNA and her attitude that she had authority over my husbands body is what is of issue here. Also it is not the fault of all the wonderful Rns (many who can't get a job because hospitals and doctors hire people with the little or no education to do the work they have trained and studied to do). I am speaking for the area we live in. The CNA can get traine in 6 weeks at a DR office or hospital. We as human beings deserve to have better care than that. We should not be told we ar going to do something that w feel is not right. Patient modesty. We feel that our bodies belong to each other not the medical establishment. And I do sympathize with many good caregivers out there. I have many medical professionals in my family. They want to put their patients at ease not humiliate them., We need more male caregivers so that our men can have the dignity that they deserve. My husband and I have both had the treatment of people of the opposite gender that have made us feel less than human. In other words to all of the great RNs and caregivers I think you are great but, to those of you that make us feel like crawling under a trable and hiding please put yourselves in our shoes. Put men to do male catheterization and female for women if they request. Don't have a nurse after surgery tell your husband to pee by a certain time or she will stuff a catheter in and send you home (outpatient). Don't treat the patient as if you own their bodies. We after all pay your salaries. Treat us with respect and you will be treated the same.

Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
I am not bashing the profession of nurses. I am bashing that CNA because she was inappropriate. We as patients do have rights. One of those is to retain our modesty and dignity. I got to this site because of a daughter in law in the profession and the site on patient modesty. Onthis occaision in the hospital my husband had the most wonderful RNs to care for him. We had another CNA who was wonderful and wants to get an continue with her learning and get a Rn degree. This CNA and her attitude that she had authority over my husbands body is what is of issue here. Also it is not the fault of all the wonderful Rns (many who can't get a job because hospitals and doctors hire people with the little or no education to do the work they have trained and studied to do). I am speaking for the area we live in. The CNA can get traine in 6 weeks at a DR office or hospital. We as human beings deserve to have better care than that. We should not be told we ar going to do something that w feel is not right. Patient modesty. We feel that our bodies belong to each other not the medical establishment. And I do sympathize with many good caregivers out there. I have many medical professionals in my family. They want to put their patients at ease not humiliate them., We need more male caregivers so that our men can have the dignity that they deserve. My husband and I have both had the treatment of people of the opposite gender that have made us feel less than human. In other words to all of the great RNs and caregivers I think you are great but, to those of you that make us feel like crawling under a trable and hiding please put yourselves in our shoes. Put men to do male catheterization and female for women if they request. Don't have a nurse after surgery tell your husband to pee by a certain time or she will stuff a catheter in and send you home (outpatient). Don't treat the patient as if you own their bodies. We after all pay your salaries. Treat us with respect and you will be treated the same.

You continue to bring up her not wanting education. STOP! That doesn't affect you! Your comments are getting under my skin. Unless you have worked as an aide you have no idea how difficult their job is. You are so completely ignorant & your statements (we pay for your salary) who the HELL do you think you are??? No you don't! If you aren't happy with your care, go elsewhere or try to stay out of the hospital. But please take your ignorance elsewhere because it SURE AS HELL isn't welcome here!

There is SO much more I want to say but I'm so angry right now by how rude & ignorant you are I have to stop. If I keep going I might get myself banned.

Specializes in Hospital medicine; NP precepting; staff education.

Yes, you and your husband have a right to dictate your care, but not to denigrate the work and training of those provided to assist. I'm sorry you felt violated, humiliated or embarrassed. Other than stating your opinion of your modesty, you have little understanding of the work that goes into the profession. The profession includes trained members at all levels. Our certifying agencies and employers can tell us if we are qualified (among other things) and ensure that we maintain competency.

Reasonable accommodations can be made to assist you in your request, but as a nurse, my priority is your and your husband's safety. Part of ensuring that is to let trained members of the team perform their work.

Specializes in LTC and Pediatrics.

ON the topic at hand, during my clinical times, I found that hospitals would insist that a patient have a bath or shower everyday. LTC allows the resident the right to refuse when it comes to their bath days.

seedman2, there are many CNAs who do not want to go on and become nurses. They don't want to do the studying and they are happy in doing there jobs. You might have misunderstood the aid's comment about being too lazy to do the studying, but that does not mean she is not a good aid.

What I see here is a failure to communicate. Did your husband even try to negotiate taking his shower at another time? Many places will let you do that. Or, you could have asked to talk with his nurse, the LPN or RN in charge of his care.

While it would be great to have more male caregivers, there just are not that many of them. Is your husband the sensitive one to having a female see his private areas or are you the one? I can guarantee you that aids and nurses do not sexualize the male patient's private areas at all. It is either the patient doing that with the thought of a female nurse or the spouse being uncomfortable doing so. As he ages and should he enter a nursing home, you are going to need to lose that sensitivity real fast.

So, I suggest you step back and look at the reason this is so important to you. I don't know how old you are, but my husband is in his 60s and he is fully aware that there are going to be females looking at his private area and cathing him if need be. He is going in for a hernia repair tomorrow and will have that area looked at quite often during the time he is there. He knows it and I, as a nurse, have no problem with it.

Specializes in Hospital medicine; NP precepting; staff education.

Maybe seedman is married to nursingaround?

Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
Maybe seedman is married to nursingaround?

ZOMG! Hahahahaha! Oh man! LMAO! You win the Internet today.

Specializes in Pediatric Critical Care.
We after all pay your salaries.

Oops. That probably wasn't a good idea to say.

Specializes in Hospital medicine; NP precepting; staff education.
Oops. That probably wasn't a good idea to say.

Yeah, I cringed when I saw that.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Ortho, ASC.
I am not bashing the profession of nurses. I am bashing that CNA because she was inappropriate. We as patients do have rights. One of those is to retain our modesty and dignity. I got to this site because of a daughter in law in the profession and the site on patient modesty. Onthis occaision in the hospital my husband had the most wonderful RNs to care for him. We had another CNA who was wonderful and wants to get an continue with her learning and get a Rn degree. This CNA and her attitude that she had authority over my husbands body is what is of issue here. Also it is not the fault of all the wonderful Rns (many who can't get a job because hospitals and doctors hire people with the little or no education to do the work they have trained and studied to do). I am speaking for the area we live in. The CNA can get traine in 6 weeks at a DR office or hospital. We as human beings deserve to have better care than that. We should not be told we ar going to do something that w feel is not right. Patient modesty. We feel that our bodies belong to each other not the medical establishment. And I do sympathize with many good caregivers out there. I have many medical professionals in my family. They want to put their patients at ease not humiliate them., We need more male caregivers so that our men can have the dignity that they deserve. My husband and I have both had the treatment of people of the opposite gender that have made us feel less than human. In other words to all of the great RNs and caregivers I think you are great but, to those of you that make us feel like crawling under a trable and hiding please put yourselves in our shoes. Put men to do male catheterization and female for women if they request. Don't have a nurse after surgery tell your husband to pee by a certain time or she will stuff a catheter in and send you home (outpatient). Don't treat the patient as if you own their bodies. We after all pay your salaries. Treat us with respect and you will be treated the same.

Why are you even on this forum? Did you join just to bash a CNA after your one experience?

You should treat the nurses in same way.give respect take respect.nurses are doing hard work.

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