am I wrong?

Nurses General Nursing

Published

Here is a scenerio. Nurses aide was in the shower room and she is undressing the patient to give a shower. At the same time, her other patient who cannot do anything by herself says she have to go to the bathroom. So I went to a shower room and asked her if she can toilet this lady first before she gives her a shower and she refused and her reasoning is she is busy with another patient. My reasoning of asking her to toilet her first is because there is a toilet in the shower room and if this patient is not taken to the bathroom, then she is going to be incontinent. Since a patient who needs a shower is already in the shower room she can wait a minute or so until she toilet another patient. So am I wrong? I need an objective opinion beceause my manager is not being objective at all.

Specializes in Telemetry, M/S.

In the time it took to argue with the aide, why didn't you just toilet the first pt yourself? Or offer to start the shower why she toilet the first pt?

Specializes in ICU, Telemetry, Med-Surg.

So the patient would be coming into an already occupied bathroom to urinate? At any rate, the CNA was already busy with a patient, so yes, I think you were wrong.

Specializes in Med Office, Home Health, School Nurse.

i'm with the two pp on this one....i don't see why you just didn't toilet her yourself....it took more time to track down the cna and have that conversation than it would have to have just done it and gotten it over with....

Specializes in Gerontology.

Just toilet the pt yourself!

You want the aide to leave her patient, unattended and half naked to go to another pt?

Specializes in Med/Surg, Geriatric, Hospice.

I think you were wrong. Why couldn't you just toilet her yourself?

Have to agree with the others and I wouldn't want to toilet a patient in the same room as someone is waiting to have a shower.

As the RN, I would have toiled the patient and gone on with my day.

not a nurse yet, but why didnt you simply put the patient on the toilet yourself? i dont understand going all the way to the CNA who is busy with anohter patient, to ask her to drop whats shes doing, leaving the patient shes currently working with, and go to another patient...i guess this is what some CNA's complain about...some nurses who go out of their way to call them, when the nurse could surely do it themselves...

Specializes in Peds Homecare.

Agreed, you should have taken the resident to the bathroom yourself. Why interupt someone who is already busy? I guess your manager saw it our way.

Specializes in Legal, Ortho, Rehab.

Agree with everyone else. Be glad you have a decent manager!

You also have to remember the right of dignity. Would you want to have a stranger come in and use the toilet while you were sitting there half naked waiting to take a shower? Would you feel comfortable making a bowel movement or urinating in front of someone else?

I know I wouldn't.

Just grab a commode or find an empty restroom and toilet the patient yourself.

Specializes in Trauma Surgical ICU.

I have to agree with the others.. You should have took the pt to the bathroom yourself.. Yes a RN can do that and should.

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