holistic practices bring what’s old, like body massage, back into the mainstream of nursing.
those who are old enough to remember the original version of “mission impossible” will also remember the days when the evening shift offered back rubs to every patient. it was part of the rhythm of the unit, part of taking care of the whole person....
till i left the hospital in 1991, part of 3-11pm routine was pm care and backrub...why did some nurses stop offering that???
It absolutely galls me when I hear of hospitals luring patients in with offers of upscale "spa" services such as massage, aromatherapy, and alternative methods such as Reiki and Therapeutic Touch. THIS IS WHAT NURSES DID, AND DID VERY WELL, back in the days when staffing ratios allowed!
Staff more nurses, pay and treat them better, and there will be no need for these expensive hooks that short sighted administrators use to fill beds!
It absolutely galls me when I hear of hospitals luring patients in with offers of upscale "spa" services such as massage, aromatherapy, and alternative methods such as Reiki and Therapeutic Touch. THIS IS WHAT NURSES DID, AND DID VERY WELL, back in the days when staffing ratios allowed!
Staff more nurses, pay and treat them better, and there will be no need for these expensive hooks that short sighted administrators use to fill beds!
holistic practices bring what's old, like body massage, back into the mainstream of nursing.
those who are old enough to remember the original version of "mission impossible" will also remember the days when the evening shift offered back rubs to every patient. it was part of the rhythm of the unit, part of taking care of the whole person....
till i left the hospital in 1991, part of 3-11pm routine was pm care and backrub...why did some nurses stop offering that???
ohhhhhhhh that used to be my favorite part of working with patients, especially on the eve and night shifts. they just loved getting a backrub. we were taught in nursing clinicals how to give a good backrub. the instructions were already in our nursing textbooks complete with pictures. i loved utilizing those massage techniques learned in nursing clinicals with my patients -- "effleurage technique" and one other one i can't recall right now, but my patients just wouldn't go to sleep at night without their backrubs. believe it or not.....there was plenty of time "back when nursing mattered...." to give each of my four or five patients backrubs. too bad patient care today is like moving cows through a slaughterhouse.
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.
What a shame, too, because a well rested patient is a less agitated PITA to the staff. Those CNAs missed out on a type of patient/staff bonding that many hospitals today sorely lack.
Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.
Believe it or not.....there was plenty of time "back when nursing mattered...." to give each of my four or five patients backrubs. Too bad patient care today is like moving cows through a slaughterhouse.
That is SO true, Renee.........patients aren't human beings anymore, they've become just so many widgets on an assembly line.:angryfire
Even 10 years ago when I was a CNA, it seemed like I always had time to do back rubs when I was doing HS care. That was my favorite part of the day.......I'd warm the lotion between my hands, talk quietly with the patient while smoothing it over their back, neck, and shoulders, and just watch them relax as I massaged it in. Sometimes I even would do peoples' feet; once I gave a foot massage to a doctor's wife who'd had a hysterectomy, and none of the pain medicines had even touching her discomfort. I put her to sleep doing her feet, and the next day I received not only a thank-you note from her, but a commendation from the department manager who never even noticed the CNAs most of the time.
Those were the days........~sigh~........
I remember one nurse who did this for me every night after I had my third child; I had such a terrible spinal headache and backache, and this woman would come in and do my back for something like 20 minutes. In fact, she was one of the reasons I became a nurse myself........I only wish I were able to do my job the way she did hers.
till i left the hospital in 1991, part of 3-11pm routine was pm care and backrub...why did some nurses stop offering that???
because the bean counters in administration decided that a patient load of 14 post op patients, with no unit clerks or cna's, was ok.
i barely had time to see each patient once through out the shift-being able to sit and talk with patients/backrubs/ etc.,went out the window quickly.
in addition to nursing duties, we had to pick up the extra duties that used to be performed by auxillary staff, since admin. got rid of them.:angryfire
Our hospital still does backrubs. I think it's especially important to the bedridden patients. Even if they are turned every 2 hours, some part of their back is on the bed. By giving back rubs you are promoting blood circulation and working those creases out. Creases can start to itch and I know it bugs me when I have a crease I can't itch. When I worked 3-11p I did back rubs, teeth brushing, etc. I'll admit if I was very busy I only did back rubs on the bedridden and surgery pts. That happened last weekend when they asked me to work 11a-11p. My plan was to ask every pt. if they wanted a back rub but we had an emergency and I didn't get to everyone.
I usually work 7a-7p and when I do baths I give back rubs. If the patient is a self I try to go back around and ask them so no one is left out. I really like giving back rubs. It's comforting to the patient and it gives me a chance to really get to know the patient. I've taken care of some really mean patients but when you ask them if they want a back rub they turn nice. Also, when I do baths I rub arms, hands and legs with lotion. I just wish someone would do it for me :)
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.
What a wonderful idea! I think I might mention that to administration.
back rubs??? don't nurses do enough already? this is one reason why i can't do floor nursing. i think it's wonderful if nurses can do that, but you are lucky if everyone get their meds on time. just the thought of it makes me tired.
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.
Thank you!
Why did "some" nurses top doing backrubs?
As if we elected to sit at the nurses station and gossip instead of giving backrubs to patients.
You were wise to avoid med/surg, because every unit I worked on always had some manager/administrator who hadn't worked as a nurse for 15-20 some years but always had some speech about how we could be doing so much "more" for our patients.
Meanwhile we were barely getting our lunch breaks squeezed in and be able to leave on time at the end of our shifts.
Maybe we can start using our lunch breaks to give backrubs to our patients.
Jolie, BSN
6,375 Posts
It absolutely galls me when I hear of hospitals luring patients in with offers of upscale "spa" services such as massage, aromatherapy, and alternative methods such as Reiki and Therapeutic Touch. THIS IS WHAT NURSES DID, AND DID VERY WELL, back in the days when staffing ratios allowed!
Staff more nurses, pay and treat them better, and there will be no need for these expensive hooks that short sighted administrators use to fill beds!