The Magic of Touch: What's Happened to the PM Care Backrub?

meownsmile, BSN, RN · Jan 26, 2006

I wish. I suggested some of our CNA's offer back rubs one evening a few weeks ago. Since everyone seemed to be caught up and sitting around the nurses station talking, and it seriously got laughs. I was totally serious, if they had time to sit and talk,, they had time to rub a little lotion on someone's back to help them relax and sleep better. But i guess that was just asking to much.

Town & Country · Jan 26, 2006

I agree with you, and I wonder if the frequent resquests for pain meds, sleeping pills could be alternated with a good (if quick) back rub?

I would rest alot easier if I were a patient if someone gave me a good back rub.

fergus51 · Jan 26, 2006

If she has to ask she hasn't worked as a nurse recently. I loved doing backrubs as a student when I had 3-5 patients. Nurses on the same unit hd 8-12 patients and many more responsibilities. Time is not unlimited. It's one of the main reasons I avoided medsurg like the plague as a nurse.

Katnip, RN · Jan 26, 2006

There aren't that many people working 3-11 anymore either. Hospitals seem to prefer 12 hour shifts these days.

As for the backrubs, yeah right. Nurses have more and more responsibilities that the PTB deem more important.

beannie · Jan 26, 2006

Big fan of holistic health here :) Sometimes it is hard to imagine fitting a back rub in with all the other duties. The CNA's on my floor work hard and we all are so busy. But I have found it is possible to fit in personalized care. I have found the best way is to model that action. For example, I sometimes try to plan my care with the nursing assistants, be in the room for bathing, or in the room at night for PM care, checking up on if foley care was done, helping to turn patients. When I am in doing a nursing duty, I pay attention to what the NAs are doing. If it time to reposition a patient, I help and say where's the lotion and make a point of talking about how this is a necessity for skin care etc. It may be very brief, but effective. And by doing this it shows what the standard should be, not that giving a rub is an extra if you have the time. I think this has helped improve the care of my patients. I know time is limited, but I think it can be done and helps with teamwork and accountability.

unknown99, BSN, RN · Jan 26, 2006

I still do back-rubs at HS on my patients who are willing to accept one.

Not only does it help the patient relax, it helps promote/restore circulation.

In some cases, it can also help relieve pain. This is one area JCAHO is focusing on this year.

rntg · Jan 26, 2006

There aren't that many people working 3-11 anymore either. Hospitals seem to prefer 12 hour shifts these days.
As for the backrubs, yeah right. Nurses have more and more responsibilities that the PTB deem more important.

Not sure why the 12 hour shifts make a difference, but that seems like when the back rubs went by the wayside at our hospital too. Can you imagine no baths on day shift? Why no back rubs at night? It is not a luxury, it is a comfort measure and skin breakdown prevention..especially for those who spend most of their day in bed. Granted, most patients don't spend as much of their time in bed as they did 20 years ago. There are nurses and aids that won't even wash a patients back during their bath much less put lotion on it. Thats just basic nursing 101.

lovingtheunloved, ASN, RN · Jan 26, 2006

I don't usually work evenings/nights, but in the daytime when I put residents in bed, I've found that when they're complaining of pain, a backrub (or leg or arm rub) can often relieve that pain. And makes them feel cared about.

Noryn · Jan 26, 2006

When I worked in the hospital I mainly did ER and CCU. On the 3-11 shift in the ER there is just no way we could do back rubs. It was way too busy. On the floor now I dont see how it is possible either. They are cutting CNAs and increasing paperwork while patients are getting sicker. The nurses that I talk to often say they go home crying at night. They have a hard enough time getting their medication given, assessments completed, etc.

I see a lot of bedsores in young people also which really upsets me--some of these hospitals and long term care facilities are just so short on staff. I think backrubs are great and definately has therapeutic effects however at this point in time I think addressing pain and providing things such as baths, turns, etc are more important. I hear so much from nurses and families though that patients are not bathed, not assessed correctly, etc.

It would be a safe bet to say if you found the reasons for the nursing shortage you would find the reasons backrubs are almost gone too.

mom23RN · Jan 26, 2006

I worked ER and one night I didn't have a heavy load and had a guy having an MI. He was in so much distress. We were waiting for the cath lab to be ready and he had already had enough morphine to knock down an elephant so I gave him a backrub. He told me that helped more than all the drugs we had given him (I think it allowed him to relax and let the meds work).

It was really nice knowing that just a little "time" could make such a big difference.

PamUK · Jan 26, 2006

At my hospital, last summer, we introduced a simple hand massage service to patients & their families (I work in oncolocy & lots of patients waiting for chemo or radiotherapy) It is run by volunteers, who just wander around these areas and give a hand massage to whoever wants one. It has been evaluated extremely well. We gave the vols 8 weeks training (1 day per week) and that included practical training, simple assessment of the area, infection control, communication, obtaining consent etc etc.

They know not to give any advice (patients will often ask them because they think the nurses or radiographers are too busy) and refer the patient to the nurse or radiographer. We haven't had any problems, and as I say, the patients love it. Takes some of the stress out of waiting.