Patients wants a back rub

Nurses Relations

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How did the bedtime back rub come to be associated with nurses? MANY years ago I was doing agency staffing. I got called in to a very fancy private hospital to do a shift. One of my assigned patients rang the call bell. When I went into the room she wanted her "bedtime back rub." Being young and eager to please I gave her a back rub, but the whole thing felt really icky to me. Was there a time when nurses were night time massage people?

Specializes in Hospital medicine; NP precepting; staff education.
Yeah, that's what I thought too. It's use of therapeutic touch.

Just want to toss in there too though that you should always be 100% sure you have consent first. Sounds ticky tacky but, some patients don't want touched like that and will take it very wrong if you just bowl in and start touching them like that.

Don't ask why I know that. :(

We were all new nurses at one time I guess lol

Absolutely on consent. I know a few people who really hate being touched.

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Specializes in Oncology.
As per previous posters, nurses are taught.. and understand the importance and benefits of human touch.

It works wonders.

In the current hospital environment, nurses barely have time to glance at the back, let alone massage it.

The last time my patient asked for a back rub.. I burst out laughing.

Patient care is now .. based on a BUSINESS model. No time for the human touch.

I certainly am not giving 15 minute massages, but I turn and position my patients that require is q2h or at least q3h and rub their backs down with barrier cream with a moderate amount of pressure when I do. I can literally see the circulation returning to their skin and the wrinkles leaving their back and the sighs of relief from the patient are so satisfying.

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.
At the risk of seeming snarky, you've been a nurse for 33 years and you don't know about back rubs? There's nothing lewd or lascivious about them.

Actually anytime someone says "you've been a nurse for XXX years and you don't know (enter a topic), it is a put-down. I did say that the back rub was icky (to me) but definitely not "lewd or lascivious."

OK, so what do you mean by "icky"? Are back rubs gross to you? Why is this bothering you now, if it happened "MANY" years ago? I'm being absolutely serious with this...are you somehow traumatized by this incident that happened so long ago?

What sort of work are you doing now? Is there a chance you'll need to do this in your current job?

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OK, so what do you mean by "icky"? Are back rubs gross to you? Why is this bothering you now, if it happened "MANY" years ago? I'm being absolutely serious with this...are you somehow traumatized by this incident that happened so long ago?

What sort of work are you doing now? Is there a chance you'll need to do this in your current job?

Obviously, for me, I don't find it icky. I liked a few of the posters who said the more creepy patients were always the ones wanting the massage.

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I have a resident that is a HIGH fall risk. I noticed that she sleeps extra well, per 3rd shift, if I lotion up her back for 5 minutes. That is all it takes. AND I do an instant skin assessment too.

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When I was in my LPN program this was taught as part of routine care, and that wasn't that many years ago. If only we had the time to still provide these it would be excellent. A few minutes of our time can change a lot. Just feeling a human touch or a relaxing moment can mean the world to some people who do not experience it otherwise. I can see someone "creepy" enjoying it a bit too much, but so often it is those patients who are lonely or in pain who get the most from it.

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Specializes in Oncology; medical specialty website.

Yeah, and if my "creep-o-meter" went off when a patient asked for a back rub, I would definitely find a tactful way to get out of doing it. But that happened so rarely, it generally wasn't a problem.

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Specializes in Cardiology, Cardiothoracic Surgical.

I was taught a few years ago in my BSN program by some very old-school nurses that it was standard. I've massaged legs and lower backs while doing full head to toe assessments, and the patients always appreciated it. My favorite current trick is a warm blanket or heating pad on a lower back to ease up crampy muscles, and a few minutes of massage.

I definitely think more patients could use human touch, it brings back the humanity to them, and would ease off the need for medications.

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Specializes in MICU, SICU, CICU.

This is the downside of working at private boutique hospitals, as the OP did. The clientele are very affluent, they stay forever and they expect the same level of pampering and service that

they receive at the country club.

If there was no real need for a back rub as comfort

measure or skin care intervention, I would say I can't do that. I would offer to contact the massage therapist, reiki practitioner or polarity practitioner.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.

Although I work days, I'm gonna try the backrub thing on bedbound patients. I am, however, already the leg-cramp whisperer. I routinely gently stretch the hamstrings of pts c/o leg cramps, and they are so grateful!

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Specializes in UR/PA, Hematology/Oncology, Med Surg, Psych.

I also was taught in nursing school way back when that massage was part of HS care. But I find myself way too busy to do this on a regular basis. I'll lotion and rub the back of my bed bound patients when they are turned if possible, but only for a little bit. No time to do more. Plus the CNAs are doing a lot of the HS care now. RNs are running around like chickens with their heads cut off until at least midnight-1am.

This was standard back in the 'good 'ol days' when nursing was more an art than a science. But as a profession, for good or bad, we are now science driven and the art is not quite the same. I'm sure most of the reason is that healthcare is now big business, but the nursing leaders (such as ANA) have made nursing very technical nowadays. Anyway, I'm so busy making sure nobody is crashing as the patients are much more acute than they used to be.

I also find that most patients are in the hospital for such a short time now, we don't develop relationships as we did before. And it seems that many more people are sensitive about 'their space' and being touched than they used to be.

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Specializes in Emergency/Trauma/LDRP/Ortho ASC.

Thankfully we have a massage therapist assigned to our service line. She does shoulders, neck, arms, lower legs and feet. She even dims the lights and uses aromatherapy while she's doing it. I really don't think I could massage a patient...she is a lifesaver!

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