stinky patient pet peeve

[Fruit Sucker]

It really irritates me when we get to the floor, get patient assignments, and go in to see patients that have not been cleaned for at least a day. I'm not talking about diapers that need to be changed, I'm talking the entire patient is stinky and there are techs/cna's standing around. This really grinds my gears.

Do people working as nurses have this problem? If so, what do you do? Can you write up the techs for this?

I had a patient the other day who was stinky as all get out, Foley bag was full, and he was slumped down in his bed. The nurse is busting his butt trying to get all the medications out, and there are techs standing around talking. I say something to my clinical instructor and she says, "sometimes you'll have that, it's a game where they want to see if you'll do it for them." Can't people like this be punished?

[ArrowRN, BSN, RN]

I'm seriously blown away by the OPs attitude. That won't last long in nursing school or on the floor if she manages to graduate. No nurse is above cleaning and bathing their patient. No one.

Definitely agree, if the student nurse saw this, it should be their responsibility to clean it up, not go running to find a tech or go yapping to the instructor. I'm actually surprised the instructor responded in that manner.

It is the RNs responsibility to ensure that the patient is clean. If the tech does not do it..yeah sure he/she could be reported and loose their job and go on to find another...but you could loose your license and be permanently jobless if poor hygiene turns to a bed sore or infection. It's up to you.

[RunnerRN2015, ASN, RN]

To the people who said that I should just do the CNA's job because I'm a student and I'm being "uppity"...just, no. I am given what assignments I do by my clinical instructor, and washing patients is not among those duties. I'm an RN student, not a CNA student, maybe I didn't mention that. My assignments that I receive from my instructor are assessment, meds, and so on, and if there is extra time I'm expected to be looking things up, not giving bed baths.

I guess I didn't expect so many "oh, just do it yourself" replies. Kind of shows people's attitudes toward students.

I'm an RN student and in my clinicals we are expected to do morning care IN ADDITION to med passes, assessments, looking things up, etc. That means bed baths, linen changes, emptying foleys, washing hair, peri care, etc. as well as everything else.

[ThePrincessBride, MSN, RN, NP]

If the OP's claim is true, ya gotta wonder at the quality of the school that doesn't teach basic physical care to nursing students.

I see a NETY post in our future.

No nety. I am a PCA and senior nursing student who is in her preceptorship, and I am shocked at the op and her attitude.

Op, change the attitude and do it quickly There is no such thing as PCA work as pca duties fall under nursing duty. Even on busy Med-Surg floors, nurses will often have to do primary care if no aide is available which is quite frequent. I am in a very prestigious state BSN program and we learn how to change linens, give bed baths, and on clinicals we are expected to do it all.Even in my senior practicum I empty out foley catheters, help clean and turn patients and wipe bottoms on top of med admin, assessment, etc on multiple patients. In my ideal world, I would love to have three patients who I do a lot for than six or seven patients where I feel like I'm a drug pusher.

To all the experienced nurses out there, I apologize on the behalf of the op. We nursing students are not all like that and quite frankly, her attitude makes me feel embarrassed.

[RNsRWe, ASN, RN]

No nety. I am a PCA and senior nursing student who is in her preceptorship, and I am shocked at the op and her attitude.

Op, change the attitude and do it quickly There is no such thing as PCA work as pca duties fall under nursing duty. Even on busy Med-Surg floors, nurses will often have to do primary care if no aide is available which is quite frequent. I am in a very prestigious state BSN program and we learn how to change linens, give bed baths, and on clinicals we are expected to do it all.Even in my senior practicum I empty out foley catheters, help clean and turn patients and wipe bottoms on top of med admin, assessment, etc on multiple patients. In my ideal world, I would love to have three patients who I do a lot for than six or seven patients where I feel like I'm a drug pusher.

To all the experienced nurses out there, I apologize on the behalf of the op. We nursing students are not all like that and quite frankly, her attitude makes me feel embarrassed.

You (and the other students who spoke up here, thank you) have given me hope that "Today's Instructors" aren't all leaving today's nursing students to be eaten by the Real World after they graduate :)

Something tells me you will be a fine nurse indeed.

[Red Kryptonite]

on the other hand it could be the 1:15 tech ratio or worse at some of these places. All the techs I know are hard workers and yes sometimes pt care falls but only because they are overworked. Even if standing around it might be the only break they had, you never know. Sometimes I've gone 12 hours without eating. Then there are also some nurses who refuse to help the techs thinking RN means "no more butt wiping".

This pretty accurately reflects my experience as a hospital tech.

[Julie Reyes, DNP, RN]

Did I miss something??? What is a NETY post and what does it mean?

I just have to add this: If it were YOUR family member sitting in stink, and a student nurse walked in, would you HOPE the student nurse to go find someone to clean up your family member (and who knows if there is help out there...), or would you HOPE the student nurse would clean up the mess?

I have found that a lot of family members don't even realize they can HELP clean up the patient! By all means, I invite them to the clean up party!!!

[JustBeachyNurse, LPN]

Did I miss something??? What is a NETY post and what does it mean?

I just have to add this: If it were YOUR family member sitting in stink, and a student nurse walked in, would you HOPE the student nurse to go find someone to clean up your family member (and who knows if there is help out there...), or would you HOPE the student nurse would clean up the mess?

I have found that a lot of family members don't even realize they can HELP clean up the patient! By all means, I invite them to the clean up party!!!

NETY = the flouncing accusation that Nurses Eat Their Young. Mean crusty old bags hate new nurses and students

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

To the people who said that I should just do the CNA's job because I'm a student and I'm being "uppity"...just, no. I am given what assignments I do by my clinical instructor, and washing patients is not among those duties. I'm an RN student, not a CNA student, maybe I didn't mention that. My assignments that I receive from my instructor are assessment, meds, and so on, and if there is extra time I'm expected to be looking things up, not giving bed baths.

I guess I didn't expect so many "oh, just do it yourself" replies. Kind of shows people's attitudes toward students.

"Just, no"??? Oh my...this whole post has me saying "just, no."

We understood your role perfectly, and it says more about your attitudes towards CNAs and basic nursing care than about our attitude towards students. You say this like you're already above performing ADLs! There is no such thing as their job vs. your job. It is all your job, and once you are in a place where you have authority, you may be able to delegate part of your job to the CNA.

All nursing students I've encountered--myself included--were responsible for all of the basic nursing care including hygiene and ADLs, especially when we were brand new on the floor and only had one pt to care for alllllll day long. Really, you have one or even two floor pts, you can handle med pass and looking things up AND basic cares. And as I said, supervisors on floors where I have worked as an RN myself have instructed CNAs ahead of time that they are not to do cares for their pts because there are...gasp...RN students assigned to these pts today, who will be doing hygiene and ADLs.

Another little tidbit for you (from a practicing RN...who shockingly has been a student herself) is that you may not have the luxury of CNAs on the floor when you are practicing. There are places who adopt the model of the RN performing total care. Or as in my other post, the floor may have CNAs but have to pull them to do a 1:1 with a very confused pt. So then what...yup, you got it. You have to know how to do the ADLs.

Repeat--this is not NETY. This is reality. You have to know how to do ADLs!

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

If I could only hit the 'Like' button about a hundred times.....!

Or if only AN had a "LOOOOOOOVE" button

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

Well, I can't speak to where you went to school 18 years ago, but today's instructors are not teaching students how to make beds and give sponge baths anymore.

Then they are stealing your money and giving you an incomplete education!!! Oh, and jefferte, and several others on AN--are "today's instructors."

And you really should take to heart that not one respondent has agreed with you...and those who are telling it like it is are really racking up the "Likes." When it's you alone against the nursing world, it doesn't mean you're some Athanasius figure. It probably means you're wrong and that you have something to learn from our advice.

[Here.I.Stand, BSN, RN]

...I am sorry, but I just had to copy/paste the OP comment to my class blackboard. This will definately be a discussion in my class.

I'd love to be a fly on that wall!

Sheesh I just can't step away from this thread

[ixchel]

To the people who said that I should just do the CNA's job because I'm a student and I'm being "uppity"...just, no. I am given what assignments I do by my clinical instructor, and washing patients is not among those duties. I'm an RN student, not a CNA student, maybe I didn't mention that. My assignments that I receive from my instructor are assessment, meds, and so on, and if there is extra time I'm expected to be looking things up, not giving bed baths.

I guess I didn't expect so many "oh, just do it yourself" replies. Kind of shows people's attitudes toward students.

Oh dear god no.

When you are working as an RN, who do you think the ultimate responsibility falls to? YOU. How do you think you'll get a good skin assessment on a 400-lb. patient without being in the room and taking part in the bath?

CNAs/techs receive a job description. Their job description includes those things the nurse is able to delegate to them. What exactly does delegation mean? It means you put part of your responsibilities on another person. YOUR responsibilities. And it's YOUR license on the line when that patient develops ulcers because it was beneath you to clean your patient.

Seriously, I hope you're trolling us right now. Start appreciating your CNAs and techs now because a CNA or tech who feels crapped on by you certainly won't be the first to come running when you call for help. And let me tell you now, in case your school isn't taking the time to make this clear - you NEED your techs.

In my program, every single clinical day, all areas of care that a tech would typically do, we were to do. These are extremely basic (but crucially needed) nursing skills that you should be developing in your program.

I don't see nurses looking down on students here. I see you looking down on techs. I almost had your back until I read this comment.