To Bathe or not to bathe

[cougarnurse]

Sometimes ya gotta use what's available, eh? I do like using soap/water/linen. but.....there are the occasional patients who just can't get to the shower. Just encountered one a few weeks ago.

[JennyP]

I worked CV-ICU for 34 years and LOVED bathing my patients! I'd use 8-10 wash cloths, 4 towels, and 1 or 2 basins of water (3 if needed) and even would soak their stinky feet and hands if they were long term-ers with the cheesy callouses flaking and sweating off. I'd even wash their hair if they needed it either physically or psychologically (the women especially).

I always felt that if they got a good bath and smelled better, they would also feel better and their families would be less stressed for me. It usually worked too. They had clean, dry, tight bottom sheets and clean crisp top sheets and I'd try to find the nicest gowns for my pts. too.

So, I was hospitalized myself in January in my old hospital for 10 days. Granted, I wasn't in ICU, but I was sick enough I couldn't move by myself for 3 days. I wasn't offered either a bath or a bed change during that time! I had 2 freshly made beds in all of that time: once when my room was changed from one unit to another; and once when I was well enough to get up and change it myself.