Very Unprofessional....

[Whoatemyburger]

So, last night I get report from a patient in the Unit who was in ETOH protocol. This was the patient's 3rd day withdrawing!!! When I got report from this XY Nurse, she told me that the patient was scoring pretty high. I was surprised because we usually send them to the unit when they score over 12. Anyhow, she tells me a little bit about the patient and says to me "ugh he fell at home due to a seizure and that's why you will see all that nasty stuff on his face". I was like, excuse me? and she was like " well yeah, all that dried blood on his face." I just stayed quiet and continue on with report. When I received the patient, he looked like a total hot mess. Yes, I know he is an alcoholic, but we are not here to judge. I offered a bedbath , ( since he was on seizures precautions/ and on bedrest). We cleaned all the blood off his face. Patients need to have dignity, like every human deserves to have! I do not mean to be so sensitive, BUT WE NURSES , came into the profession to help and be compassionate, or at least be professional in the way we communicate about our patients with other colleagues. Anyways, It felt good, I just love being a Nurse!

[bsyrn, ASN, RN]

Unfortunately, this is not all that uncommon. It's sad really

[Pangea Reunited, ASN, RN]

Sounds like a good day ...time to bathe a patient instead of just keeping him alive.

Don't sweat the small stuff. You'll make enemies really fast getting all high and mighty over a bed bath.

[Ruby Vee, BSN]

Sounds like a good day ...time to bathe a patient instead of just keeping him alive.

Don't sweat the small stuff. You'll make enemies really fast getting all high and mighty over a bed bath.

Perhaps the issue was that it was his third day and he still had dried blood on his face?

[whichone'spink, BSN, RN]

It's one thing if he's combative and won't let you clean him up. But to leave him like that for 3 days is unacceptable.

[Whoatemyburger]

I think it was more the comment about the patient than anything else . I didn't say anything about the bath or the comment to the nurse or anyone . I felt a little bad for the patient . I just did my job with my wonderful aid. I guess that's why I am where I am .

[Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN]

Shame on the staff. They should have cleaned him up. You are right... we are here to care not judge or treat them like animals....even if they act like one.

Thank you for being a good nurse.

[All4NursingRN]

Just because the patient was alive doesn't mean everything else is insignificant. Maybe the nurse was burned out or stressed, either way she needs to learn to hide her frustrations or atleast keep her rusty comments to herself.

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

Lets take the ETOH part out of this for a moment- how one can assess with all the dried blood in the way?

Does the patient have a big ole lac under the dried blood that needs something done with it? A head lac that is open? Is it all dried blood, or a cellulitis happening under the dried blood? You can't assess what you can't see, and I would think s/p a fall would warrant some sort of skin assessment. If the patient has staples, sutures are we just sorta forgetting about those because what...he's a drunk? You can't assess the intergrity of sutures or staples if there's all dried blood everywhere.

Yes, this is most definetely a dignity thing. Lest we forget that addiction is a disease process, not a character flaw. With that being said, back to my original thought--HOW does one assess on skin integrity when the patient has 3 day old dried blood on them?? Even to set this person up with a basin and washcloth to wash their face is the right thing to do.

Cause you know what? At the end of the day a "teach em a lesson" concept rarely works, nor does making an addict sit around with dried blood on their face.

Absolutely uncalled for and very, very poor practice.

[Been there,done that, ASN, RN]

Sounds like a good day ...time to bathe a patient instead of just keeping him alive.

Don't sweat the small stuff. You'll make enemies really fast getting all high and mighty over a bed bath.

As RubyVee pointed out... there is a much bigger issue here. Every patient deserves to be treated with respect( in this case it was a simple bed bath.) I

hope you examine your callous response.

[Whoatemyburger]

I definitely assessed the patient , cared for him . Monitored his withdrawal and medicated as ordered . I just wanted to also point out that there is much more to just saving a life . My point is the dignity of the patient . That counts too . Good point about the skin assessment . It was pretty hard to take all that dried blood from his face , mouth , and teeth . I did see a laceration from the fall I'm assuming underneath all that dry blood . I had a pretty tough district last night , I mean what medical Medsurg floor isn't ? Lol --- it just made me realized how little things we do out of our way can make a difference. In this case keeping the patient's dignity . I also realized based on the other nurse'a response that not everyone takes that into consideration. It was just a reflection I had of my night last night . I thank you all for the positive responses !!!!

[nursefrances, BSN, RN]

It would be important to document these injuries when admitted too .This can't be done appropriately with dried blood everywhere.

Good for the OP for advocating for her patient.