Do nursing staff not wash patients anymore or change sheets?

I was in hospital for 12 days in Feb 2021 with Covid. A nurse washed me on the first day and brought me everything I needed to wash myself after that. My DD brought clean nightwear for me and took used items away for washing. Obviously she couldn’t see me. I can’t remember how often the sheets were changed but I’m sure they were. The staff were wonderful and I’ll never forget the kindness I received.

I used to change beds as a nurse manager as did the manager who was ward based who was above me. I actually can’t get over all these nurses who apparently don’t change beds. I don’t think it’s that nurses think they are above such jobs maybe they are so understaffed now they don’t have time.

Sorry to hear about your daughter OP and hope that she is on the road to recovery

I can only "speak as I find" and no this wasn't just 'a few visits'.
I didn't see much actual nursing being done at all on the wards I visited.

The only "real" nursing I came across was on the district where those nurses worked really hard.

You are aware not all nurses work on wards aren’t you? Many nurses carry out procedures that were once done by doctors - eg endoscopy? Urodynamics? Respiratory specialists, palliative specialists, heart failure specialists Degrees and high level education is essential

Youre basing your opinions of nurses after a few visits to hospital wards when in fact nurses have diverse roles to play

I'm afraid this was my experience also - the stroke ward was excellent with nurses that truly went above and beyond for very vulnerable patients but the general wards were bordering on negligent and, yes, there was a lot of standing around chatting at the nurses station while patients, without speech, that could not even feed themselves were simply left unfed and their meals cleared away, untouched, by catering staff.

She's bedbound, unwell and can barely speak.

RTFT or at least the OP’s posts.

Is she bedbound? If not then they’d expect her to go and shower/wash herself. Has she actually asked for help?

I work as an HCA...all patients are offered a daily wash or shower, hair care, shave, oral care, with appropriate assistance if they require it. Sheets are changed when dirty, colleagues, nursing staff and ward managers all pitch in to help when it's busy. It's part of basic nursing care. It's busy so it may not be first thing in the morning. At mealtimes we're expected to position patients appropriately and assist with meals if required. Having been on the "other end" with a family member, I'd certainly speak to the ward manager if possible or go to PALS. (My elderly disabled mum was left in wet sheets with food and drink out of reach). I've seen examples of excellent care and awful care. I hope your daughter's on the mend soon OP.

Yes, I complained to the Chief Exec of the last hospital my late husband was in. They acknowledged his care was less than adequate.

He was on an appalling ward for a week - after me having ructions on there, he was moved to another ward, where the care was 💯.

The first ward was due to nurses just not wanting to do much. Different ethos on the second ward.

When I was training at that time in another AHP role I shared a bedsit with a girl training to be a Physio at a big general hospital nearby.
For the first 6 weeks of her training, she was working on the wards helping with patient personal care, feeding, washing and transporting them. Cleaning the ward, changing beds, taking soiled linen to the laundry, serving meals and just general 'dogsbody' tasks - even helping to 'lay out' patients.
It was just cheap labour for the hospital but she got loads of hand-on experience
It was 6 weeks before she saw the inside of a Physio Dept.

You are not being unreasonable. My mam was a nurse all her life. She hated the decline in hygiene and the recognition that cleanliness is your first line of defence. When she was admitted to hospital she asked me to regularly disinfect her area for her.

Because of my particular experience when I have visited wards.

I have seen groups of females sat in circular ?Ward Stations looking at computers and ? inputting information. All in very similar navy blue small checked uniforms. Name badges and function on lanyards too small to read, so no clue who they all were. No-one available to help visitors and just got ignored unless I leaned over the 'counter'. Asked if one female was the Ward Clerk as I needed some info on a patient and was told haughily- "I'm the Nurse in Charge".
No-one attending to the patients on this (geriatric) ward despite requests from visitors. No nursing being done as far as I could see.
Signage poor (not the fault of staff I know)

I could go on.

Nurses have been doing this since I qualified in the 80s, except it was handwritten notes. We still had time to make beds, help with personal care, look after sick patients, attend doctors rounds and help out at meal times.

The nursing degree is a minimum of 2300 theory hours and 2300 practical hours.

On qualifying nurses then (usually) have to complete a preceptorship

What is your problem with nurses? You’ve so far stated that since they needed a degree they don’t nurse, and now all they want is an admin job

What has happened that you have such a low opinion of nurses?

A few years ago my DD28 was in for a hip replacement(not a routine op was quite complicated for her), myself
or her DP were there most of the time, not once did a member of staff come into her room unless it was for meds or we buzzed, even buzzing was ignored unless you went out and asked for help and was fobbed off repeatedly until one would huff and come and help her.
Every member of staff sat at the station for hours on end and not all doing admin, I’ve never bought into this nurses are angels rushed off their feet, same with A&E so much time wasting.

I'm a qualified nurse and no this is not standard care. At 20 years old we would normally bring water in for the patient to wash themselves but if bedbound and as poorly as your daughter we would assume it's a given she needs to be washed by us. The only thing I'll say is if you're there then they may have thought you would be doing the personal care yourself as at 20 she wouldn't want nurses to be washing her. The nurse getting shitty with you over the sheets is bizarre that's not okay at all, I think this ward is not a good one! You need to escalate to PALS.

I was in hospital a few months ago. The first couple of days, despite being immobile, I was helped up every morning and offered help with washing but I managed by myself once I was in the bathroom. Whilst I was washing, my bed was stripped and remade every day. The day after both of my surgeries the nurses helped me wash and clean my teeth and go to the toilet and again changed my bed each day.

My mother has been in hospital for the last couple of months, on different types of ward in several hospitals. The staff have all showed her the utmost care and respect and have washed her, changed her clothes and
bed and repositioned her in her bed several times every day, whether we could be there or not. Sadly she deteriorated rapidly on Saturday. Although we were always by her side the nurses constantly checked on her - and us - and couldn’t have done more to ensure she was comfortable and her dignity was preserved right until the end. After she passed they were incredibly kind to us and made sure we understood everything that would happen, brought us drinks and offered food and asked if there were any religious rituals they could carry out for us. If the washing/changing/repositioning etc hadn’t happened I’d have asked for it to be done. You’re by your daughter’s side - be her advocate and ask for whatever it is you think she needs or ask them to provide you with the items you need to carry out her personal care

If I was a 20 year old woman, I think I'd prefer an hcp to do personal care than my mother anyway

When my elderly Dad was ill in hospital for 2 weeks (doctors assumed he wouldn’t make it) there’s was always someone from our family (me, my mum or sister) with him. We helped him with his meals but otherwise the nurses or HCA team helped to wash him and change his sheets. They never expected us to do it and the always asked if he or we needed help with anything.

He was discharged and went home and passed away at home a year later.

Healthcare really has changed.

I am a nurse, no interest in being a manager. Generally HCA's change beds and wash patients and I am surprised your daughter hasn't been asked if she needs assistance, please speak up.
To those saying nurses sit on computers chatting. They are completing care plans, assessments, checking doctors plans, typing notes, making referals, updating handovers and having to document every single thing due to the blame culture. Give me the hands on stuff any day of the week.

You're a rare breed! Shame we can't clone you!! 💕

When my husband had his stroke, a charge nurse complained to me that he wasn't eating and drinking and that he'd therefore have a hypo. (He was insulin dependent.)

His meal was brought in: a flat plate with quiche, peas and an ordinary knife and fork...

The stroke had left my husband's left hand paralysed and twisted backwards with no feeling. His right hand was shaking uncontrollably.

I caught up with the charge nurse and asked why DH hadn't been seen by an OT and provided with suitable eating implements. [Once I got him home, I purchased a special plate/bowl and fork with an edge from a company that supplied utensils for people with limited mobility.]

The nurse said she'd get a doctor. The doctor's response? "Now that you've drawn this to our attention..."

I heard myself saying "Hello?! This is the Acute Stroke Ward!"

I also queried why a member of the diabetic team wasn't involved in DH's care, given that there was concern about hypos.

After I blew my top, a diabetic nurse came to the ward and checked DH over. In actual fact, his sugar levels were too high - a common phenomenon in anyone who's had a stroke, apparently, and the stroke ward staff should have been aware of this.

The following day, DH had gone from speaking sensibly to speaking gibberish. No one on the ward had noticed. I alerted the nursing staff.

It turned out that DH had a UTI.

This was Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy, Fife.

I later found out that the Vic had done badly during inspections of elderly care.