Student Nurse with LTC question RE: clothing

[soupermom]

We are currently doing clinicals in a LTC facility that has 2 floors, 3 wings, and from the looks of it, is understaffed most days. In our skills lab they talked a lot about the bathing process and how to look under folds of skin for rashes, etc. So working with my patient yesterday, I noticed that none of the female patients wear bras of any kind. Is that a safety thing or just lazy on the part of the staff? My patient had visible redness from her shirt rubbing on her breasts and causing soreness. A bra would go a long way to keep that from happening. Obviously I haven't been at this very long but our instructor didn't have an answer since she's mostly worked cardiac in the past. If it's just a matter of too lazy, then I'm going to advocate for those poor women. How miserable. If it's a safety thing, then there probably isn't much to be done.

Thanks!

[morte, LPN, LVN]

I always respect the patients wishes and sometimes the family. a quick example, a family member got upset with me for putting butter and gravy on the residents mashpotatoes. When mom is a 98 years old, 98 pounds, she is welcome to be extravigant. In the same turn, I believe wearing a bra is a concept devised by the devil. I surely hope no one puts me in a tight uncomfortable bra when i'm 98 just so my " nipples" wont show. Heck the men have nipples to. Our society is strange.

aint that the truth!!!