Showers in patient rooms...

[deespoohbear]

I have a question here for everyone. Our hospital is getting ready to break ground for a new facility to be completed in 2004.:) The architects have asked the nursing staff what kind of stuff we need, want, etc. (Not that our opinions will carry any weight, but hey that is a whole different thread). Anyway one of the questions we were asked was do we think we need a shower in every patient room? All the rooms will be private in the new facility. We have a couple patient rooms now that have showers in them, and a common showering area. We are a general med/surg/peds/tele/ catch all unit. The nursing staff is divided on the shower issue. Half of them say we don't need a shower in each room, and the other half of us think we do. The architects said it is either a all or none deal. That we can't have showers in some of the rooms, and not others. Either we go with a shower in every room or a common shower area. The private rooms now that have showers are very convenient for the parents of hospitalized kids and for our more ambulatory, younger patients.

I was wondering for those of you whose patients have a shower in their room, do they get used? (Of course considering that patient is stable enough and there is a doctor's order). Are the showers in the rooms used frequently enough to justify them being in there...or do you think it would have sufficed having a common shower area?

I am with the group who wanted showers in every room...I feel like if the showers were more convenient for the patient, more of them would ask their docs if it was okay to take a shower. Plus, it is a lot more convenient for the parents if the shower is right there in the kid's room.

Any thoughts on this subject would be appreciated...Thanks..

[tattooednursie, LVN]

I'd personally go for a shower in every room. Why not?

Even if they are dependant, it would be alot eisier than taking them down to a common shower.

[Laura C]

I know that if I was a patient in the hospital that I would want my own shower. In our hospital we have showers in everyroom and it makes it easy to get the patients back and forth. Also family members we more likely help if they do not have to go down the hall to a public area.

[sunnygirl272]

When my mom was just in the hospital, the bathroom/shower were an all-in-one....kinduva cool concept when ya really think about it....floor was ever-so-slightly sloped...not enough to be a fall-inducer....drain in floor..handheld shower, grab-bars...walk the incontinent LOM into the br and hose him off while he's on the john finishing what he started...lol...seriously, i think it's a neat idea...and besides, always gives you a place to stash a dynamap and/or extra IV poles.....

[jemb]

Definitely, absolutely, shower in each room. It's more convenient and safer for patients, their family members who are willing to help, as well as for the staff.

[canoehead, BSN, RN]

Hell, get a shower in every room, it's not as if they are telling you that you'll lose something else if you say yes...

What you really want is a spray nozzle on every toilet so you can wash off the yucky bedpans without a hassle or walking down the hall with them. (bleah)

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

I would worry about infection control in a shared shower situation. Are you going to sanitize the shower between patients?

[Nurse Izzy]

I think it's a health hazard to not have showers in every room - who is going to make sure that they are disinfected properly and what happens if a patient has undiagnosed TB or staph or MRSA, etc??

A common shower sounds disgusting to me. With all the precautions we have to take with linens, etc, I cannot fathom a common shower.

[meownsmile, BSN, RN]

I have to agree with nurse Izzy,, we have a shower in each semi-private and private patient bathroom with a removable shower head for ease of use(adult and OB floors). I wouldnt have it any other way. In a hospital there are enough critters crawling around, why risk cross contamination. I would think, that your infection control person would have a very strong opinion about this. Our pedi department doesnt have showers in each room, it is the older part of the hospital, but we do disinfect after and between each use.

I vote for showers in each bathroom.

[deespoohbear]

Our common shower area now is disinfected after every shower...by housekeeping.

My boss just told me that there will be showers in every room. One of the board members whose family is donating the land for the new hospital wanted showers in every room....money talks....(For this one instance, I am happy money talked!!)

Thanks for all the replies...

[Tookie]

Am in a nursing home (LTC) we are still a bit of an exception although now with government regulations of our industry we will become more common

All our rooms (single) in the nursing home have an ensuite (shower attached) All residents have this regardless of their income or not

We have found over the past 8 or so rooms not only does it enhance their dignity, privacy, choice, individuality it has noticeable reduced cross infection issues - we provide handwashing facilities for staff in each room - we have other practices in place which enhance this as well. All the residents and families love this - it means too that families can stay with the person who may be unwell (this may be acute or palliative) without intruding on another persons sleep/ recovery etc.

I was in hospital last year (4 bedded ward) whilst care was fantastic - did not need to see/hear domestic happening across the room - l did not need to see people vomiting, l did not see other naked bodies (mine is bad enough)

Conversely - it was good when l was vomiting my heart out - another patient was able to ring for me for assistance - as l did as well a few days later

There is always two sides of a coin - however l guess the questions needs to be asked of the designers do they want to smell everyone else's bowels following an evacuation if they are in the bed next to them - or do they want the person next to them know that they have terminal cancer.