While cleaning a patient's face, blackheads were mistaken for ground in dirt. (The individual had had a seizure and had fallen pretty heavily onto his forehead, enough so he was bleeding from a cut on his forehead) The nurse was observed picking the blackheads.
The individual actually looked much better after she was done, and the patient appeared grateful for the cleaning but...
My question is shouldn't she have just left them alone? What about pimples? And cystic acne? And boils? Should we be draining boils and other skin infections after they have opened up? I have noticed that this older nurse does this and the areas appear to heal up remarkably quickly. What is best practice?
I&Ding stuff used to be one of my favorite things to do working at the community health center. People came in all the time with "a bump on my back" that turned into all sorts of nasty purulent junk. We never touched peoples faces, though. Didn't go there.
'popping' pimples is rather personal. It's actually unsanitary and most people are rather secretive and embarrassed about the fact that they do it, aren't they? It's on par with picking one's nose, in my opinion. I would NEVER do it to a patient!!!
I haven't had to pop a zit in years. Thank you makers of benzyl peroxide! I dab some on while it's still red and I notice it heals lots faster if the skin is never broken.
Therefore, no popping for me either. Better to get a good antibiotic and let it heal without breaking the skin if possible.
Specializes in ER, Occupational Health, Cardiology.
I've seen some stuff and then some more in ER and First Responder Trauma, that would curl your eyebrows, but kids, this thread has nearly made me rowlf! Earle, thanks for the story about the Hospice pt. Sometimes ya just gotta do what you gotta do...
i had this elderly lady in hospice, yrs ago, who was going to have a 'date' night w/her husband.
we got her showered: her dtr brought her favorite dress, perfume, the whole 9 yrds.
but she had this blackhead on her upper back that was around 1/4" high.
it was driving me nuts.
so i squished it.
and squished a little more.
then cleansed it, bacitracin and bandaid.
she looked very lovely, my pt.
much lovelier than w/a 1/4" high, in-your-face blackhead.
some things just need to be done.
leslie
Those are one of the very few things that make me ill! One time in the ICU, I was getting a guy ready for a cardiac cath. I sat him on the edge of the bed to do a wash up, then went in to wash his back. Right in the middle of his back he had a huge blackhead - and I got queasy looking at it.
I don't go 'round popping my patients' zits in the hospital, as much as I am tempted. Don't think hospitals are the best places to have more portals of entry for superbugs than are already present. But I have seen some that mmmm. It's all I can do to sit on my hands. I know it sounds gross.
Your story sounds like something I'd do too, Leslie.
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Elvish, BSN, DNP, RN, NP
4 Articles; 5,259 Posts
I&Ding stuff used to be one of my favorite things to do working at the community health center. People came in all the time with "a bump on my back" that turned into all sorts of nasty purulent junk. We never touched peoples faces, though. Didn't go there.
I know it sounds sick, but I miss I&Ds.