LTACH bed bath

Would you want to go a day without a bath if you were sick and bedridden? What does their having MRSA or CDIFF have to do with it?

If you had C. diff, would you want to go more than a day without a bath? MRSA/MDRO might not be accompanied by the same nasty diarrhea, but those pts still get as sweaty as pts who don't require contact precautions.

I have worked in LTACH myself, and I get it... it's insanely busy. I have had days where my entire 4-5 pt assignment was on contact precautions. At the hospital where I work now, EVERY pt on the Burn unit is on contact precautions to protect THEM.

So a nurse who has floor status pts -- plus the CNAs -- have multiple pts on contact precautions.

BUT. The inconvenience of gown&gloves are not a justification for compromising care.

What I will say though is: what do you mean by "night?" When I worked in LTACH, it was drilled into us that 2300-0700 is "sacred sleep time," and we were only to wake pts when necessary. Repositioning, incontinence care, q 6 hr antibiotics: necessary. Routine daily hygiene, stool softeners and vitamins, lab draws, routine wound care: not overnight.

This was because LTACH pts are at such high risk for delirium, being sick/injured and hospitalized for so long. We don't want to add to that risk by keeping them awake at night.

Scheduling some baths for evening/HS is appropriate, but most of the baths should be done on the day shift. I know, day shift is nutty with new orders, therapies, visitors, 3 meals etc.... but it's also 12 hours of awake time, vs night shift's 4 hours. It's about what's best for the patients.