what are your thoughts...

Nurses General Nursing

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Specializes in Home Health, Hospice.

A male patient, usually continent of urine and stool. Left side weakness, can use the commode with a transfer assist.

In hospital for testing and some confusion- requests repeatedly for assistance to the bedside commode for a BM. Nurse puts brief on him and tells him to "just go in your diaper"

Continues to use call bell every 1/2 hour or so, very politely explaining that he does not want to go in the diaper and could someone please assist to commode. Is repeatedly told to go in the diaper.

Wife explains that although he is a bit confused he feels demeaned having to lie in his own stool-still no assistance.

Thoughts?????

thanks

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Help the man to the commode! All that seems like to me is that the nurse doesn't want to bother with her patients needs or DIGNITY. For goodness sake, wouldnt it save him/her time to help him to the commode to go rather than answer call lights all day/night long?!? I work on a stroke floor and these people are already dealing with loss of function, if he can get to the commode with assist, at LEAST give him that!

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Specializes in Home Health, Hospice.
Help the man to the commode! All that seems like to me is that the nurse doesn't want to bother with her patients needs or DIGNITY. For goodness sake, wouldnt it save him/her time to help him to the commode to go rather than answer call lights all day/night long?!? I work on a stroke floor and these people are already dealing with loss of function, if he can get to the commode with assist, at LEAST give him that!

Thanks. I guess I just needed some validation here. yes, this man has lost enough already d/t the stroke. Going in brief and then lying in it for who knows how long is an insult, in my opinion. thank you so much for your opinion. Also, he could have had the transfer in the time it took to put on the brief.

thanks again-

k-

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I also think he should be helped to the commode. If he knows enough to know what he wants, why not help him w/this simple ADL?

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Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

Please, please help him to the commode. I cannot imagine a circumstance when I would be ok with wearing a diaper as an alternative to being helped to the commode. I think it is just heartless. I know there are a million demands, but this just must be accomadated. Thank you for being willing to "buck the system" and help this gentleman.

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Specializes in Psych, Med/Surg, LTC.

Poor guy. As if he isn't already suffering enough with loss of independence, now he is loosing his dignity. Could he even go in his pants? How many patients have you had that simply CAN NOT even go on a bed pan? I wonder if he could go even if he wanted to. I bet he wound up holding it in and then becoming constipated... As long as he isn't on strict bed rest get him up to the BSC atleast if not the BR!! And if he did go in his pants.... How long would he have to sit in it? That sounds great... A person who has trouble with mobility (skin risk!) being asked to sit in something that will help his skin break down even more. Will the staff then give him a hard time about having to chage his sacral/coccyx dressing? Or will that get ignored too?

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Specializes in cardiac/critical care/ informatics.

I can't believe a nurse would tell a patient that is able to use the bsc to go in his pants. I think this is patient abuse and the nurse should be reported why couldn't he at the very least be put on a bedpan? I don't understand the thought process.

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Wouldn't cleaning him up afte the BM in the diaper be more hassle than just letting him up to the commode??

Plus, I cannot myself imagine having to have a BM in a diaper. I would be humiliated and embarrassed and ashamed. This man has the capability to explain that he would like to get up then they should get him up. I think that's horrible that someone would repeatedly tell him to go in his diaper. If this is another nurse I would suggest reporting her to a supervisor. I'm saddened that anyone would treat another human being like that. :o

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Specializes in ICF/MR, ER.

If it were me, it would have been reported. If I saw a CNA doing that, there would be a write up involved.

Demeaning is the word I'd use.

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I'm just a pre-nursing student, but my heart broke when I read this. I feel very sorry for that poor man and would like to have the nurse have a BM in HER diaper....:angryfire

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Specializes in Emergency.

That post made me want to throw up, how awful! How could someone actually treat a human being like that. I mean sure, we have all had our thoughts of "god I am sick of getting this pt. up to the commode every 10 minutes" but to refuse to let someone get up and just let him sit there and suffer trying to hold it in until someone comes to help him--that just breaks my heart!

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Specializes in Med/Surge.
Help the man to the commode! All that seems like to me is that the nurse doesn't want to bother with her patients needs or DIGNITY. For goodness sake, wouldnt it save him/her time to help him to the commode to go rather than answer call lights all day/night long?!? I work on a stroke floor and these people are already dealing with loss of function, if he can get to the commode with assist, at LEAST give him that!

Ditto

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