We have to dress up in our bathing suits to give each other baths

hrtprncss · Aug 25, 2005

lol that's not true, that's so wrong in so many levels lol and here i thought i was gonna fail nursing becuz i couldn't miter a bed

dave1117 · Aug 25, 2005

this was my schools policy. Sounds like fun...certainly better than changing the soiled diaper of an elderly incontinent patient who had peas for dinner. That will be week three or four, you'll be looking for your bathing suit and bath partner again...:chuckle

Have fun, it is all part of the process.

Dave :)

elkpark · Aug 25, 2005

Count your blessings :), and do a search here for all the threads by students complaining that their school makes them actually get undressed for bed bath practice. When I started teaching nursing several years ago, I discovered that the instructor teaching the basic skills lab made the students strip down to panties and nothing else for bed baths (and would go around the room and peek under the sheets to make sure no one was "cheating"!) -- I went to the director of the program and insisted that be stopped.

Welcome to nursing! You will find, as you continue through nursing school, that you and your classmates will be practicing many skills on each other. Best wishes --

FirstYear2005 · Aug 25, 2005

Count your blessings :), and do a search here for all the threads by students complaining that their school makes them actually get undressed for bed bath practice. When I started teaching nursing several years ago, I discovered that the instructor teaching the basic skills lab made the students strip down to panties and nothing else for bed baths (and would go around the room and peek under the sheets to make sure no one was "cheating"!) -- I went to the director of the program and insisted that be stopped.
Welcome to nursing! You will find, as you continue through nursing school, that you and your classmates will be practicing many skills on each other. Best wishes --

hehehe :rotfl:

seriously we were told we would have to do this but a few people were iffy so we just had to wear tanks and a pair of shorts.

cardiacRN2006, ADN, RN · Aug 25, 2005

We had to do this as well as brush each other's teeth and feed each other. And when we were being fed we had to be blindfolded. The week before I must have shaved my legs so many times and I flossed like mad! I was so worried that someone would see my harry legs or that I would have some huge piece of lettuce in my teeth!

grapejuice01 · Aug 25, 2005

Trust me, things like this will become the norm and you will be more comfortable around your classmates than you can imagine. Its kinda funny to look back and realize how shy and conservative we all used to be and how open we all are now. Its not uncommon for someone to sit around a skills lab in a sports bra with a line of students waiting to listen to her heart murmur or something like that. (BTW- if you have something "unusual" like a murmur, adventitous lung sounds, or even an easily retinal vessels, be prepared to be the guinea pig and to "share" with your classmates...)

Its VERY awkward at first, but you'll get used to it and wont give it a second thought. Have fun with it and it wont be so uncomfortable.

Good luck! Nursing is so much different than anything Ive ever done before in college and Ive loved every minute of it so far...I hope you do, too!!

~~Rachel

khazel2002 · Aug 25, 2005

I know how you feel. We did the same thing in lab this summer. We were assigned in groups of 3, and we were given the option of bathing two on one or taking turns. Then, they gave us our assignments. I was put together with 2 of the 5 men in our class (I'm a woman). I took a deep breath and told the guys, "Well, if we weren't close before, we certainly will be now!" It was awkward, but we got through it.

montinurse, BSN · Aug 25, 2005

Thank goodness we practice on dummies, but all 58 steps to giving a bed bath seem sooo hard to me. My nursing school started Monday and we have bedbath checkoff this coming Wednesday. I hope I don't forget anything!! Anyone else feel kind of overwhelmed. I think bathing a fellow nursing student would be easier than a stranger in a LTC! Our instructor said they'll try to give us the nice people to work on when we get to clinicals :)

mandikt · Aug 25, 2005

Thank goodness we practice on dummies, but all 58 steps to giving a bed bath seem sooo hard to me. My nursing school started Monday and we have bedbath checkoff this coming Wednesday. I hope I don't forget anything!! Anyone else feel kind of overwhelmed. I think bathing a fellow nursing student would be easier than a stranger in a LTC! Our instructor said they'll try to give us the nice people to work on when we get to clinicals :)

we practiced on dummies too. i was lucky enough to attend a brand new program that had purchased really expensive dummies. But we didn't go through 58 accurate steps. we just kind of talked about it and then did it and got checked off, our teachers weren't too technical about it. plus being a nursing assistant and giving people baths all the time i knew what to do. I couldn't imagine giving each other a bath. I don't think many people in my class would be down for that. lol.

HeartsOpenWide, RN · Aug 25, 2005

You know I was "floored" when the prof said today(1st class in NS) that for our first skills lab next week, we will be learing how to give bed baths. To to so, and mostly to understand how the patient really feels about being given a bed bath, we have to give bed baths to each other. So we have to bring our swimsuits, towels, toothbrushes(for mouth care), our soap if we wish, or she can provide the soap.
Yes, for real!!

Make sure you shave your legs! :lol2:

Cowboys_RN, BSN · Aug 25, 2005

We were supposed to practice bed baths on each other today. Our building has been under construction so none of the skills labs are setup. They told us to go home and practice on a family member. There are a few more skills we're missing out on practicing too. I think it's a big disadvantage.