I was in clinical the other day and my patient had a spinal cord injury asked for a sip of water before my nurse and I left the room. The nurse said "No, Speach Therapy can do it in a few minutes when they get here." After we left her room, I innocently asked what the medical reason was for not giving her the water and why we needed to wait for Speach Therapy. The nurse said "There wasn't a medical reason. We already washed our hands." I was shocked, but didn't know how to respond. The patient did not have a MRSA or any other communicable disease. What should I do the next time this happens??? Any advise on how to help the patient without stepping on the nurses toes. I want to always cross the line of caring, even if my hands are clean.
Thank you