Do nursing staff not wash patients anymore or change sheets?

[keepswimming38]

My daughter has been admitted to hospital with meningitis. She’s on an infectious diseases ward. I’ve been by her side most of the day for 3 days and despite her not being able to move as she is so weak, not one nurse has asked her if she wants to freshen up, have a wash, change her sheets. I’ve done it for her. Is this usual? The nurses are sat next to their little computer trolleys, or chatting at nurses station, so not all run off their feet I would say.

for me it was waiting for a prescription to be sent up so I could be discharged. I ended up getting the prescription and walking to the chemist myself as it was quicker
I did get told “we probably wouldn’t have said blood thinners if we knew you were marching out of here the day after an 8hr op”

They will have been desperate for the bed but until the doctors have done your letter and pharmacy dispensed your meds (if needed) you can’t go anywhere.

Some RN’s do discharge letters themselves on some wards, this adds to the huge amount of admin they already do (care plans twice a day minimum for a LD, referrals, meds rounds x3 per LD, admission/transfers, last offices) when you take that into account it’s no surprise they’re stuck at a computer.

The HCAs are the eyes and ears of modern wards, they’re the ones toileting, washing, feeding but being on minimum wage you can see why there is a staffing crisis, who wants to be caring for a dying patient on Xmas Eve when you can get paid the same to work in tescos without the unsocial hours, emotional challenges and get 20% off your shopping!

That said it’s no excuse for poor care and a ward is only as good as its management structure so if you’re getting nothing from the ward sister go to pals, it’s not good enough.

Discharge takes forever. For us, it was mainly waiting for the pharmacy to get my sons meds sorted and then we also had to wait for the discharge letter.

Apologies I missed that part.
I work with a great team but unfortunately there are staff there just for a wage and will do the bare minimum they can get away with.
Definitely take it higher op esp if that is the ward sisters attitude.

My 14 year old was in icu for 2 weeks last year after an accident. He had to lie flat and couldn't do anything for himself.
He came into hospital in muddy clothes and covered in mud.
I couldn't get there until the next day (his dad was there). When I got there he was still covered in mud and bed sheets covered in mud.
I suggested to them maybe he should have a bed wash and be changed into a gown and they seemed surprised I asked. I couldn't do it myself as 1. I am disabled and walk with crutches and 2. Hes a big lad and it required 3 people to do.
I was really surprised at this as we were on icu with some really poorly children. I was concerned about infection control.
He also had no way of being able to get to the toilet but noone provided anything for him to use. Again had to ask. They gave cardboard urinal which he couldn't use as couldn't move arms or body. Eventually had to put a nappy on him. He dealt with all this so well but imagine a 14 year old lad having to have his nappy changed by his mum. I really wasnt impressed by the whole set up as felt like even his most basic needs weren't being met. We also couldn't stay with him overnight (not allowed on icu). We had to syay in Ronald mcdonald house. He was completely immobile during this time and so vulnerable

Shocking! Would definitely be contacting PALS about that!

Ward clerks aren’t qualified to do clinical admin. They’ll do general admin but care plans etc must be done by the qualified nurse

When my then 8 year old was in intensive care, they did ''cares'' every 4 hours which included a wash and bed change if necessary but also included wiping his eyes and wetting his mouth at first as he was sedated and on a ventilator. He was there for 7 weeks and at first they honestly couldn't do much because he was so unstable, was that at all the case for your son when he first arrived? If not, that is completely unacceptable.

I hope he's doing well now. Having a child in intensive care is beyond frightening, wouldn't wish it on anyone. xx

Afraid that when I was in the stroke ward in the second hospital, no one changed my sheets or helped me wash in 4/5 days. I was in a room right by the nursing station where they spent plenty of time sitting around chatting about their Christmases & new years., partners & kids etc. I don't object to that at all, but I do object to being ignored when I was buzzing for help to get to the toilet, one morning I had been asking for 2 hours. In the end another patients visitor helped me.

the first hospital changed the sheets daily, but also weren't great at helping with washing. They'd plonk the bowl of water on the bedside table, haphazardly pull the curtain around & go. Getting help took a long time each day. Despite them knowing I could not do it myself.

no idea what they were talking about as they chatted in Nepalese, but they were not rushing about.

& don't even get me started on the drugs rounds...let's just say it was very lucky I wasn't cognitively impaired.

the senior nurses/ward managers acted like patients were just a bloody inconvenience.

both hospitals were a dreadful experience, I didn't mind being transferred to the second one as it's a smaller hospital, with less facilities for new stroke arrivals, so I assumed they'd be better with after care & rehab. I was wrong.

I've been in hospital from unconscious to being able to get up and walking around. My bed sheets were changed daily by an hca, they also washed me when I couldn't and encouraged me to wash myself when I could. Nurses have enough to do without looking after patients in that way.

That sounds horrendous

It was. I could say much more, but I don't want to bore everyone on a thread that's not even about me!!

I'm glad you had a good experience, all experiences are not equal.

I wouldn't have cared whether it was a nurse. A HCA. A porter or the bloody car park assistant, whether they were male or female..
just someone to help.

.

Perhaps if hospital staff - all of them - were valued more than footballers and singers it would help. Someone upthread said we should be careful what we wish for when politicians talk about less money for the NHS, and less resources in the public sector.

One of the many contributing reasons the NHS is in its current state is the ridiculous reverence its been shown over the years with the daft assumption that all nurses are angels. Its just like any organization with good and bad staff but with the added complication that, as is common in the public sector, bad staff are not held to account. The public sector is already bloated - it needs proper management, not endless cash and misplaced veneration

Sorry thats just not true.
7000 staff sacked last year due to failures to meet basic standards, even having time off for illnesses acquired whilst treating patients will result in disciplinary action.

As for veneration of nurses, again, simply not true, only have to read the multiple posts on here to see that a great deal of people don't think much of nurses etc

Still not convinced?
Look up assaults on NHS staff - almost 300k assaults on front line staff last year.

The NHS is in a mess because over decades we have funded it lower than other European health systems by 1 or 2% per capita, doesn't sound much but over 30 or 40 years, its massive amount of shortfall, coupled with a total failure to plan for demand as we age and general decline in health (thats on us though)

Not all nurses work in hospitals - community staff are subjected to verbal and physical aggression every day - and aren’t able to call security as many times they’re alone. Often feel undervalued and forgotten.

Ex nurse here. No you most definitely are NOT being unreasonable here. Just because a relative is present no nurse should ‘assume’ you would do personal care. For a younger child I might expect Mum to want to do it, but for a 20 year old woman, definitely not.
I would formally complain via PALS about the lack of care.

Why would getting illnesses while treating patients result in disciplinary action?

Because it’s sick leave and if you take too much time off then you can face disciplinary action

working in close proximity to ill people puts you at higher risk of catching something

I agree. My dm was a nurse and was shocked when my sheets weren’t changed after a c section. It’s the most assertive I have ever seen her be!

Happened to my DD, 2 bouts of Covid, and the flu after being told to care for a patient but no PPE available.

She went back too soon and had to go off sick again, so 2 absences, stage 1 discipinary.

That’s so wrong. No one can help being ill

Some workplaces will have you on a disclipanary if you have a week off

It’s very obvious health staff are not valued. As pp’s said, look at the rising rates of violence and sexual assaults. We are just expected to deal with it, and not allowed even to talk back to those whose attitude is ‘who do you think you are talking to me’? These are usually people who are very very dependent on our continuing work, either economically (the benefit brigades) or of course the disabled. Public servants are treated as public slaves, and have been for some time now. Wages are minimum or not much above, staffing is minimum, conditions and equipment are minimum, because ‘the public sector is bloated and needs to be more productive’.

Tory bullshit.

Already staff have left in vast numbers. Already the levels of new entrants for the ‘opportunity’ of huge debts in uni have fallen. Already staffing is mostly foreigners, especially at the lower professional levels, because it is not worth it for locals. Start looking at reality instead of the propaganda from bloody London aristos and bankers.