We have to dress up in our bathing suits to give each other baths

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You know I was "floored" when the prof said today(1st class in NS) that for our first skills lab next week, we will be learing how to give bed baths. To to so, and mostly to understand how the patient really feels about being given a bed bath, we have to give bed baths to each other. So we have to bring our swimsuits, towels, toothbrushes(for mouth care), our soap if we wish, or she can provide the soap.

Yes, for real!!

Specializes in Med-Surg.

I agree that it only makes sense to practice on your fellow students when the practice does not violate their dignity or physical well being. The rest of the time the manekins and other training tools suffice IMO. It seems to me if you're going to take the position that nursing students can only learn empathy if they're stripped of their clothing and forced to undergo the procedure themselves then why not have them undergo foley and enema insertions, breast and genitalia exams, bone marrow bxs... heck break their legs and put 'em in casts so they know what that's like too.

All kidding aside, we practiced our bed bath skills on manekins and on each other fully clothed and were able to learn and apply this skill as well as any others we learned in such ways. It's just not necessary to strip down to learn how to give a bed bath. How archaic.

My husband's a police officer and is forced to undergo training classes where they're maced and tazed so they know what the guy who's breaking the law will have to go through. He said he's got his resignation all ready to turn in the day they put out the memo for the "we're-going-to-shoot-you-so-you-know-what-that-feels-like-too" class...

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Specializes in Cardiac.
... why not have them undergo foley and enema insertions, breast and genitalia exams, bone marrow bxs... heck break their legs and put 'em in casts so they know what that's like too. ...

You have completely missed my point. How sad.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
You have completely missed my point. How sad.

We posted at similar times, I hadn't even read your point when I posted mine. Cheer up! It's not all about you after all.

Just kidding :)

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Specializes in Nursing Assistant/ Army Medic, LVN.
I agree that it only makes sense to practice on your fellow students when the practice does not violate their dignity or physical well being. The rest of the time the manekins and other training tools suffice IMO. It seems to me if you're going to take the position that nursing students can only learn empathy if they're stripped of their clothing and forced to undergo the procedure themselves then why not have them undergo foley and enema insertions, breast and genitalia exams, bone marrow bxs... heck break their legs and put 'em in casts so they know what that's like too.

All kidding aside, we practiced our bed bath skills on manekins and on each other fully clothed and were able to learn and apply this skill as well as any others we learned in such ways. It's just not necessary to strip down to learn how to give a bed bath. How archaic.

My husband's a police officer and is forced to undergo training classes where they're maced and tazed so they know what the guy who's breaking the law will have to go through. He said he's got his resignation all ready to turn in the day they put out the memo for the "we're-going-to-shoot-you-so-you-know-what-that-feels-like-too" class...

I totally agree with you, but I'm a bit curious about your husband's training. They do this so that "they know what the guy who's breaking the law will have to go through"?? I'm sure that is a part of it, but I didn't think that was the main reason. I thought that they did it (mainly) so that if the officer got a 'snoot full' of mace or got tazed by a suspect (or accidentally by another LEO), he/she would be better prepared to 'work through the discomfort' and win the fight. I guess I don't see why anyone would care about how the guy attacking the cop "feels". :bluecry1: :rolleyes:

You bring up another good point - Why couldn't students practice on each other fully clothed? No heavy clothing to class those days. Jeans and a T-shirt or whatever. Seems to me like this would work just as well.

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For me, I wouldn't want to give a classmate a bath, or vice versa. I'm 23 weeks pregnant and really don't want to have my body to be seen!

As for whoever mentioned the age thing. Age is just a number, there are just as many people in thier 40s who are immature, irresponsible, and whatever other word you want to insert here, as a 20 year old. And they drop out just as easily for the same or different reasons. I've been in full service resturant management and have hundreds of employees under me, and age has nothing to do with ability or work ethic. I had some people who had been a cook all thier 50 plus years and were horrible, and then had a 18 year old who worked his or her butt off! I think it's more will and want than age. Life choices are also part of that will/want. Look at me, I'll be 9 months pregnant during my finals, I have a 3 year old and a 18 month old already, but this is something I really want, and will finish. Now, whether or not my soon to be three sons will make it, lol I don't know. Can someone email me to remind me to feed them? :)

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