How do you get aides to give good peri care?

[geriNurse1]

Our aids are instructed on giving good peri care in orientation, their certification classes, and in inservices during the year. Still they do not do it, possibly because they feel they don't have time. But if they would take the time they would save time in the long run. Does anybody have any suggestions on how to motivate them to give good peri care? When you ask them to describe good peri care they have all the right answers. Help!

[bethann27]

After many years of being a stay at home mom, I began a career in healthcare starting out a a CNA. I truly wanted to join a profession that was meaningful so I did my job as taught . . . only to be ostracized by the other aides for making them look bad and getting corrected by the nurses for taking to long to get everyone up for bkfst or back down after lunch etc. It is my personal belief that no amount of motivation will work (for any length of time) under the current system. However, the newer communities being built with small groups of residents being cared for in a more home like environment are a big motivator for direct care workers. Most of them really do want to give great care, but are unable to due to ratios and the sheer physical demands of the job.

[imgonnabeanurse]

I to am in the same delima as i constantly remind my aids to wash the bottoms after our pateints have an incontient episode. they are really consistant about turning and positioning. BUT, I feel like they are failing to wash and dry thoughly.

[LHoffman40]

Hi there, at my facility we recently just encountered that same problem so what we did was made it mandatory to be checked off on peri care 4 times a month. If they didn't do it they were going to be taken off the schedule but i'll tell u this, after continuously pounding it in their heads they got it together and did it!!!!

[cjcsoon2bnp, MSN, RN, NP]

Good peri-care is essential and I don't think there is any excuse for not giving a patient good peri-care but I think you should find a way to organize a staff meeting and find out from your CNAs on what they feel the issues are working in your facility and talk about things that can be done to improve performance. I know that one place I worked at as a nursing student you actually were only allowed to use two facecloths and one towel per resident per shift, if they were incontinent and needed more then you were SOL. I was infuriated but the CNAs just said that was how things were and management wouldn't allow them to have any more supplies.

!Chris

[oslogirl]

Perhaps you could have an inservice and teach them?

[Wife of Spinner]

How about by setting an example. Delegating the task does not mean that we are absolved from making sure that the job gets done.

[Kylea]

I know that one place I worked at as a nursing student you actually were only allowed to use two facecloths and one towel per resident per shift, if they were incontinent and needed more then you were SOL. I was infuriated but the CNAs just said that was how things were and management wouldn't allow them to have any more supplies.

!Chris

That is horrible!

[showbizrn]

good peri-care is essential and i don't think there is any excuse for not giving a patient good peri-care but i think you should find a way to organize a staff meeting and find out from your cnas on what they feel the issues are working in your facility and talk about things that can be done to improve performance. i know that one place i worked at as a nursing student you actually were only allowed to use two facecloths and one towel per resident per shift, if they were incontinent and needed more then you were sol. i was infuriated but the cnas just said that was how things were and management wouldn't allow them to have any more supplies.

!chris

:wink2:

through the years of

cleaning the "peri" area without

supplies...

i cheat with the sheet!

that's right.

one soapy sheet

one rinsing sheet

one drying sheet (with a healthy amount of a & d ointment)

or

one sheet divided with a soapy end, a rinsing end and a drying middle (with a & d)

all my bases are covered---

i wash, i rinse, i dry and apply the anti-decubiti:d.

of course, turning is implied:nurse:.

[JB2007, ASN, RN]

I ask them if they wash their peri area regularly. When they say yes (have not had someone admit to not doing so, yet), I tell them I expect that you do the same for the residents. I also tell them that I expect the foreskin to be pulled back washed and dried and then pulled back properly. I also inform them that I will be checking up on them regularly and I do.

I have and I will send CNAs home or write them up for not doing their job. I have 30 + residents under my care and I do not have time to babysit the aides. They do their job and I do my job and everyone gets along. If they want to screw around and not work they can go home and not come back as far as I am concerned. My aides know what I expect and in general we get along great because of it. They also know that if I have time I will help them with washing someone or potty a resident.

[CapeCodMermaid, RN]

A few points:

We don't 'potty' our residents. They are NOT babies. We assist them to the toilet or change their brief.

Perhaps, if you are like my CNAs, the reason you're only allowed a few facecloths is that one of your coworkers either threw piles of them away or even worse flushed them (or tried to) down the toilet resulting in a hug bill from roto rooter and a huge bill.

Try a peri bottle with warm water or periwash.

[JB2007, ASN, RN]

CapeCodMermaid,

Thanks for the pointer on my grammar. We do not potty our residents either. The residents deserve more dignity than to be spoken to in such a manner and I would not dream of doing speaking to a resident in such a way. I will try to be more precise in my grammar in the future.