While getting report this evening, a confused patient rolled by in her wheelchair wearing a funny little shower cap on her head. I chuckled to myself and asked the nurse beside me why she was wearing it. "Oh, she has lice." She has WHAT?! Yuck, yuck, yuck!!!!
I've been itching all over since I heard the bad news... Maybe I should get myself a shower cap!
God, I hate lice..
Worst part: Family refuses to have the normal treatment d/t poor old mom is sensitive to smells. Apparently, they've been coming in every night to dump mayonnaise on her head!!
I'm not a nurse yet and not even in nursing school until September, but I wanted to chime in and share my own experience. Two of my kids have had lice. My first child has had it twice, about 4 and 11 y.o. The first time I used pesticides twice, back to back, that still didn't kill them, nor did the comb remove the nits; I still had to remove them by hand. So our kids' pediatrician recommended slathering on vaseline to cover their entire scalp and hair, place a plastic cap or tie a plastic grocery bag on their head for 24 hours. Then pick away the nits for the next 6 hours or so.
The vaseline suffocates the louse and when allowed to soak on the strands of hair, it is a much easier task sliding the bugs and nits right out of there.
It works and it's safer, but it's a pain washing the vaseline out.
Specializes in L&D; GI; Fam Med; Home H; Case mgmt.
OY!! I can't imagine what a mess that would be in my very long, thick, wavy hair! I would have to use 3 tubs of the stuff to even cover it all, hahaha. urrrgghhh - this is such a pain in the orifice! I really appreciate your tips though - and if this LiceMD, combing and Cetaphil method don't do it, I will definitely give it a go. Thanks!
She has WHAT?! Yuck, yuck, yuck!!!! 
Despareux
938 Posts
I'm not a nurse yet and not even in nursing school until September, but I wanted to chime in and share my own experience. Two of my kids have had lice. My first child has had it twice, about 4 and 11 y.o. The first time I used pesticides twice, back to back, that still didn't kill them, nor did the comb remove the nits; I still had to remove them by hand. So our kids' pediatrician recommended slathering on vaseline to cover their entire scalp and hair, place a plastic cap or tie a plastic grocery bag on their head for 24 hours. Then pick away the nits for the next 6 hours or so.
The vaseline suffocates the louse and when allowed to soak on the strands of hair, it is a much easier task sliding the bugs and nits right out of there.
It works and it's safer, but it's a pain washing the vaseline out.