Did the title catch your attention? Good, I was hoping it would.
I've seen people talk about this attitude on allnurses quite a bit, and I find the reactions fascinating. I'm amazed at the passion, care and professionalism of the nurses on this board and really about every nurse I've ever met.
BUT, everyone-from the most seasoned nurse to the student- knows that nursing is changing and will probably continue to change dramatically over the years to come. There are CNAs and MAs who seem to have an increasing role in the healthcare system and nurses themselves have more responsibility (all the charting etc.) and demanding jobs as new diseases, new medicines and standards of care make their way into our lives.
My question is, do you think their should be a change in what nurses do? Will there come a time when basic hygiene and certain other tasks often done by nurses in the past will be the responsibility of CNAs and others in similar roles? Would this be a good thing for nurses? Is there really anything wrong with nurses who feel that four years of education + all of their other demands and responsibilities should mean that they shouldn't have to do these tasks?
Specializes in Oncology, Critical Care, Home Health.
Come on please,
If you are not at least occasionally cleaning up behinds, how are you doing a good skin assessment. There is no better time than when giving a bath or cleaning up an accident.
I worked a vent floor with 6 vents for 5 years. There was only myself and one other RN on the floor at night. The only way those patients were getting anything cleaned up is if we did it, and we did. When they were getting a place started, we got it under control before it got bad, because we were doing ALL of thier care. We were even able to get those that came to us with breakdown cleared up.
Good assessment skills require some hands on. Today I work as an MDS coordinator. Even though it is office work, when it is time to do my assessments, I'm out on the floor touching my residents.
all i have to say is, if you did not come into the nursing field for the right reason then they need to give back there license. it is all about the patient, not us, we should always give a 110 percent..............this is what we wanted to do............and you have to look at it like this, the nursing field is in very high demand now, so.........where you want someone else will and will be glad to do it............it just kills me to think a nurse is to good to clean up bm, what if there were no cna's then what are you going to do just let them lye there is there bm. when my 89 year old grandmother was sick and could not do for her self i help the cna's because one......that's my grandmother and two.......i wanted to do it cause she was doing it by herself no one came to help her at all and i am not a nurse yet (in school now) but the whole point is this, if you did not get in this field for the right reason then it is not even worth you keeping your license and if you are in school then get out!!!!
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
Is this thread moderated at all? I can't believe the name calling!
Rest assured---- it is being moderated. In the future, all members: Please report violations using the reporting system, versus placing notes here, so we can see them sooner and act on them appropriately and in a timely manner. Thank you.
Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
I will remind members to stay within Terms of Service when participating in these hotly-debated topics, or else memberships may be in jeopardy and threads closed for time-out. Thanks for understanding!
Oh, these lazy RNs, always looking for something that might actually work. We do use fecal bags from time to time. Hard to keep them in place, though. Maybe it's the brand we use. Still, better than nothing. I've also seen a fecal tube, sort of a catheter inserted into the rectum. Works pretty well, but the docs don't seem to like 'em. Well, I guess they are sort of invasive.
But no more invasive than a foley, which we do all the time. The one fecal catheter tube I saw did work like a foley, but it was made of a very soft, flexible plastic. The material was much softer (for lack of better term) than a foley. It almost felt like fabric. When I saw a demonstration insertion, the patient didn't wince like what you see with foley insertions. The patient seemed to be quite comfortable. It's got to be better than having a red, sore behind from skin breakdown and constant cleanups.
No matter how many cleanups you do, the patient is going to be sitting in fecal matter at least some of the time unless you have someone who can stand there all day long doing cleanups which, of course, is impossible. This has got to better all the way around, especially for non-stop diarrhea.
I don't have problem wiping people from behind or body fluids.. haha... I would love to get to get my salary just to wipe people from behind... It's an easy jobs that everyone CAN do..
It more difficult to log-rolling obese patient and get them to bed side commode... or getting punched and beaten by confused patients...
Just wiping is nothing comparing to the PHYSICAL torture we have to deal with...
The problem is we're running around and don't have TIME to do so.. haha...
To me, Rude and demanding family members, CONFUSED patients who are trying to get out of bed, INCOMPLIANT patients make nursing very difficult.. haha... wiping is very minor part of nursing
I have seen nurses go into a patients room, just to come out and hunt DOWN a CNA to change a patient, or give them water, etc. That's not right, and it's not fair. What is so wrong with all [/b]of us helping each other out to make ALL of our jobs easier?
Don't make a quick judgement on your collegues...
May be they don't have time for it... or may be
I did that when I don't have time for it! ... not because I don't want to do it... These are things that can be wait... it doesn't have to be done right that minuite... and you have to prioritize especially.. when you have new admission coming to room... or emergency like patien say I can't breathe.... you need to make emergency phone call ...bla ..bla..bla...
And CNA did not get pay to sit on their butt while we're running around like a dog........ If they are busy, I help them... we have lots of thing to do.........If I changed every patient and acted like a food service... I would get nothing done, no med passes except to keep patient clean and positioning patients... haha..
When I first became a nurse some years ago, I worked in a LTC facility and went to help a CNA clean a patient. She looked at me and said "Oh, no you can't help me, you'll get in trouble from the DON if they find you helping. You might get hurt or something." I was dumbfounded, I couldn't believe that the DON wouldn't let the nurses help the CNA's. Needless to say I didn't work there long.
But now I work on a ward that if there isn't 12 patients or more, it is just me and another RN. If we didn't wipe the butts, change the peri pads, get the water, etc. It just wouldn't get done. But I have heard some of the aids on the day shift complaining about alot of the nurses who are talking on the phone to their family, or reading a book while the CNA is running around like a chicken with her head cut off and when the patient calls for water or help to the bathroom, they just page the aid over the intercom to go to that room and not lift one finger to help.
I have found that if the aid feels like that you will help them, that they will definetly help you when you are the one running around like a chicken with your head cut off, instead of hiding out in a room to get a breather.
I did that when I don't have time for it! ... not because I don't want to do it... These are things that can be wait... it doesn't have to be done right that minuite... and you have to prioritize especially.. when you have new admission coming to room... or emergency like patien say I can't breathe.... you need to make emergency phone call ...bla ..bla..bla...
And CNA did not get pay to sit on their butt while we're running around like a dog........ If they are busy, I help them... we have lots of thing to do.........If I changed every patient and acted like a food service... I would get nothing done, no med passes except to keep patient clean and positioning patients... haha..
as i stated in previous post..i know that nurses are busy, but so are the cna's. and i also know that emergencies come up that can't be delegated (because it requires a license) and for the cna, things come up that can't be delegated (because the cna has no one to delegate to). i personally am not quick to judge and often "stick up for the nurses" to my fellow cna's, but on two occassions i've been called to a room (with the nurse in there) and the nurse said "i need you to clean him so i can change his dressing". now on both occassions the nurse didn't even leave the room and didn't help. nope they stood right there and waited for me to get done. and IF you read my previous post you know that the reason i do not question them is because i do not feel it is my place to question the nurses. i am there to HELP them. plus, as i stated in a previous post, even the charge nurse told a pt's family member that it isn't the nurses job to put a pt on bedpan/bsc and take them off!!
again, to all the great nurses...keep up the great work and i thank you for building the pt trust that i need to effectively do my job. and to the bad nurses please find another profession or at least try to put your self in that pt's place that is waiting so long in their own feces until the cna is free to do it (the cna just may be busy cleaning up another pt while the nurse MAY be doing something LESS important than cleaning up a pt in feces).
i've been called to a room (with the nurse in there) and the nurse said "i need you to clean him so i can change his dressing". now on both occassions the nurse didn't even leave the room and didn't help. nope they stood right there and waited for me to get done.
Just wanted to add something to my last post. In our hospital (and many magnet hospitals) the nurse to patient ratio is low. Yesterday in the ER we had 4 rooms assigned to us and at any on time we only had 2 patients. The most I seen any nurse have at once was 4. Therefore, there is the extra time to wipe buts and give continuity of care.....each pt has one nurse for everything and they seem to like that.
dogsrus
3 Posts
If you are not at least occasionally cleaning up behinds, how are you doing a good skin assessment. There is no better time than when giving a bath or cleaning up an accident.
I worked a vent floor with 6 vents for 5 years. There was only myself and one other RN on the floor at night. The only way those patients were getting anything cleaned up is if we did it, and we did. When they were getting a place started, we got it under control before it got bad, because we were doing ALL of thier care. We were even able to get those that came to us with breakdown cleared up.
Good assessment skills require some hands on. Today I work as an MDS coordinator. Even though it is office work, when it is time to do my assessments, I'm out on the floor touching my residents.
Donna Williamson BSN, RN