Skip to content
View in the app

A better way to browse. Learn more.
allnurses

A full-screen app on your home screen with push notifications, badges and more.

To install this app on iOS and iPadOS
  1. Tap the Share icon in Safari
  2. Scroll the menu and tap Add to Home Screen.
  3. Tap Add in the top-right corner.
To install this app on Android
  1. Tap the 3-dot menu (⋮) in the top-right corner of the browser.
  2. Tap Add to Home screen or Install app.
  3. Confirm by tapping Install.
Discussion

why the lack of baths

Ok I just read part of a post talking about keeping people clean and now i have a bone to pick. I would like to know why there is a lack of baths or even washing up when in the hospital ??

My dad way in the hospital for a week and he got no bath the hole time :mad:????

I was i the hospital for a few days after surgery I was unable to get up or even really sit up for 2 days .

On day one i asked for a washcloth to wipe down my hands and face . thats the most I got on day one No toothbrush or anything? On day two the cna or nurse walked in and asked if I would like a toothbrush and toothpaste :)" all right bath time !!" I am the kind of person that takes 2 showers a day so you can understand how upset i was when i heard the the items being toss on the sink as she walked out :mad: By the end of the day i had it so I called the cna in still do not know who came in nurse or cna and asked to be undone from the c##p on every arm and leg i have so i could brush my teeth then as I am getting ready to get up she walks out yelling hit the call bell when you are done "OH THANKS " So as I am standing up and trying to ami myself towards the sink I am think WOW this was a bad idea if there ever was one I grabed onto the sink and holding on dear life i did mange to brush my teeth :) I then fell back on to the bed side ways that the #### call bell was not there "no glasses on so I could not see it and with the way i was cut forget about bending . In the end another pt heard me and called for help but come ? and I never did get a bath but at least I got a new gown as mine was bloody and wet ? but what is the deal here ?

Featured Replies

Did you ask them to fill your basin? I know that the aide or nurse should have offered at the very least, but many times they are so busy running around that the obvious is overlooked. I am sorry you are still dwelling about your bad experience.

I am thinking that the Aide or Nurse is going to be more busy when the patient passes out or falls trying to do the minimum level of care they should have received; on there own.

Gross. Sometimes we get patients from hospitals that haven't been bathed and smell to high heavens. I get it if they can't have a full, hot shower but how bout a face cloth or sani wipe to the groin, stomach folds, armpits and underneath the breasts? Sometimes it's like a yeasty petri dish under there.:barf02:

When I was doing my ICU rotation in nursing school the pts got a bed bath with chlorohexadine every day as part of the prevent sepsis program. The ones on the general floor only got washed on those places that matter most if you KWIM. I remember a homeless man came in and really needed a good wash and finally some students decided to do it because we had the time. Honestly I think they are just really too busy and baths are last priority. The nurses and CNA's were all working very hard to stay on task.

I'm just curious - did your father expect to be placed in a bathtub? I ask this because we bathe/'wash up' patients every night (I work night shift on med-surg/tele floor with many vent dependent patients...) but the occasional non-vent patient who I personally have cleaned/bathed will be overheard telling their family members that they have not had a 'bath' in DAYS... I simply wonder if it's the terminology used- maybe he expected to go to a room with a tub??? If he hadn't even been bathed in bed - then shame on the staff!

My floor is often times crazy busy and I'm lucky if I have 2 minutes to to go to the BR - so really - baths are not my priority. But even those days I don't give a full bedbath - I do mouth care, and give the pt warm, moist face cloth to wipe their face, neck, and hands. That usually wakes them up.

The hospital does not provide toothbrushes, toothpaste, comb, razor - so unfortunately if they don't bring them its hard to make them look their best. I usually give them mouth swaps and mouthwash to wipe their teeth/gums/tongue.

It's not the best but that's what we gotta work with.

  • Author
Did you ask them to fill your basin? I know that the aide or nurse should have offered at the very least, but many times they are so busy running around that the obvious is overlooked. I am sorry you are still dwelling about your bad experience.

Yes I Asked and said I wanted to wash up but for the most part sence I had to stay flat I would have needed help.

  • Author
I'm just curious - did your father expect to be placed in a bathtub? I ask this because we bathe/'wash up' patients every night (I work night shift on med-surg/tele floor with many vent dependent patients...) but the occasional non-vent patient who I personally have cleaned/bathed will be overheard telling their family members that they have not had a 'bath' in DAYS... I simply wonder if it's the terminology used- maybe he expected to go to a room with a tub??? If he hadn't even been bathed in bed - then shame on the staff!

No I have never known my father to get in a tub . The hospital my dad was in is known to be very bad around here with lazy staff . when I dad came home he smelled so bad and he was not shaven at all.

Let us not forget that nursing started with the simplicity of cleaning the patients and their environments which reduced infection greatly.

Couldn't have said it better myself!

I'm of the opinion that the facility administration determines if a patient is to be bathed. If they want their patients to be bathed, they will provide adequate staffing--most do not! The nurses that believe they would always provide a higher level of care might be surprised when they are given 13 acute patients.....

Did you complain to the hospital?

  • Experts
Why no baths?

Well, I do make an effort to make sure my bed ridden pts get bathed while I'm working. But to be honest with you, I see that as a problem where i work as well and the reason is we stay so busy that there is just not enough time in the day to achieve everything we would like. Also there are a lot of times we will be short staffed. However, if we are fully staffed with all our CNAs.....sometimes I see them sitting around when they could be giving baths. Not saying they don't work hard because our CNAs work their butt off. This kind of work is so hard and demanding that we take breaks any chance we get. That being said, we are working on hiring a bath tech.....some one that only does baths.

Now this is during my dayshift, not sure why nightshift doesn't do more baths!!!!

I haven't read the whole thread yet and I hope someone has addresses this.........

If I am alert and oriented and you WAKE ME UP!!!!! to offer a bath and I am NOT in critical care........beware you WILL recieve an ear full of expletives and obscenities. If I have to choose sleep at night or missing a bath.....I'll miss the bath and have my family help me.

A BATH TECH???? :uhoh3: What are the qualifications and educational requirments to becomming a bath tech?

What is the problem? I am confused............Giving baths have always been apart of nursing. We have ALWAYS been "BUSY" How do you make sure your patients get their baths.....do you give the bath yourself? and If you can make notice that the CNA's are sitting around and could be giving baths...why not grab one of them and say...."Let's go wash up "324" together and get it over with........it should be pretty quick with the 2 of us..."

When did being a nurse and bathing become mutually exclusive? I noticed this when my Dad was in the hospital right before he passed.......bathing seemed to be a special order and an additional charge. I would ask if my Dad had been bathed and I would be told he was "washed up". I found him with betadine still on him from the day before (he had a vascath inserted) surgery EKG leads still on his back and last night's dinner crumbs in bed. WHen I complained everyone looked suprised.....I was told they "straighted his linnen up, changed his gown and helped him wash his face" andhe said he was fine......Really? Dad was pretty obtunded at the time, had a new vascath. a foley, an IV, and O2.......I was P.O.'d:devil:

From then on they got what they hoped......I did my fathers care.....

Interesting. Our hospital requires ALL patients get bathed at some point between 8am-11pm unless they decline, then we have to chart that. We used to do all baths in the morning. but day shift was complaining because there was way to much to do in the morning. So administration said to get as much as you can completed without stressing about it, but a PM bath is as good as an AM bath. So it does not matter when they get it, as long as they get it. Every patient atleast gets offered it.

i ALWAYS offer to at least brush their teeth at the minimum every morning. I usually offer it after breakfast.

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
Go to topic listing

Currently Reading 0

  • No registered users viewing this page.

Account

Navigation

Search

Search

Configure browser push notifications
Chrome (Android)
  1. Tap the lock icon next to the address bar.
  2. Tap Permissions → Notifications.
  3. Adjust your preference.
Chrome (Desktop)
  1. Click the padlock icon in the address bar.
  2. Select Site settings.
  3. Find Notifications and adjust your preference.