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.

FindingMeno No buzzer sounds like it’s not a proper ward but likely a day admissions unit, that’s been repurposed. Really it should be empty and closed for the day around 7pm, but is being used for emergency overspill. Two experiences of this that were both truly traumatic. They aren’t set up to take overnight patients. Designed for a few hours of post op. Both times they were full to busting.

How rude are you.

I've just retired after 37 years in the NHS and this is not true at all.
Nurses still go into training to nurse patients, unfortunately the role has been changed so much that I've known band 5, newly qualified nurses left in charge of wards.
Trusts are employing more and more Band 4 HCA, and this is erroding the role of the nurse.

I gave my all to the NHS, to the point where I completely burned out and it cost me my physical health. Ive seen several colleagues in the same boat.
Would I do it all again, not a chance.

I'm sorry your experience was lacking OP, ask the staff if they can assist your daughter, they probably assume you have helped since you are there, as a lot of young women do prefer their family to help. There is no excuse for the unclean sheets.

Im a senior staff nurse and yesterday I washed 9 patients, showered 3, bed bathed 6 (all assistance of 2+ and 3 were dying). I changed their sheets whilst washing them, plus changed them again if it was required throughout the shift. I applied cream to their pressure areas. Brushed all their teeth and plaited their hair so they wouldn't get tangled whilst bed bound. I changed a stoma bag and helped a man out to his daughters car because she was worried about getting him in. I had my wrist twisted and a walking stick raised to my head and gently led them both back to bed and stayed while they calmed down. I was technically supposed to not be patient facing today because I needed to ensure there was enough staff to keep us safe for the next week and answer complaints and incident reports and teach so I ended up staying 3 hours after my already 12 hour shift to get everything done because we were down 2 staff.
Also most trusts have electronic notes and precriptions so nurses on computers are generally documenting their care.

I'm not denying that poor care exists, I've certainly seen it but in the vast majority of wards that I've worked in (3 as staff and probably about 50 as agency/bank) all across Scotland patients are generally supported to wash daily, if I'm honest borderline obsessively. I'm proudly degree qualified and I couldn't work to the level of critical thinking that I am required to everyday without my degree, nursing as a role has changed massively over the past 30 years.

It is a profession not a vocation. I am happy to do washes and bed changes, but there is far more to nursing now than basic patient care.

100%, they ruined nursing when they made it a degree. HCA do more "nursing". I was shocked that nurses can't actually take blood or do canulas without extra training. I've been on wards were HCA could and some nurses couldn't.

A trust my colleague used to work in bristol rationed changing the sheets to save money.
With the excuse... you don't change your bedding everyday, so would top and tail the sheets.
Of course the manager got lots of kudos for this "super " idea.
Sigh

It sounds like there can be variation in what help is offered. Ive spent many weeks in hospital over the last few years both on general and surgical wards and in ICU. Sheets were changed regularly, usually every other day, and more often when needed. The help given with washing varied depending on my capability but I was always able to wash (or be washed) every day. I progressed from full all over bed baths, to washing my face in bed with a bowl, to being able to shower with assistance, and finally to independent washing and showering when I recovered enough to manage it safely without risk of falling. There were only a couple of occasions when I was missed at wash time but a nurse or health care assistant brought a bowl and towel no problem when I asked.

That's awful. I hope she gets well soon ❤️

Thanks. This needs to be repeatedly spelled out to people.

It’s distressing to see the public turn on overworked staff for slipping standards (eg saying they just want to be managers / they’re overqualified with degrees / they’re lazy and sit on their phones all day). When in fact it’s a staff shortage issue.

It’s misdirection and a very handy narrative for those who want to continue cutting taxes and underfunding public services. It happens across the public sector.

Agree
I've been a nurse for more than 25 years
I will muck in with personal care
But I object to nursing being called a "vocation " as it justifies low wages and poor treatment because "it's a calling ".

It's a little bit inattentive. However at this age I would literally have to have been unconscious before I allowed somebody to wash me. Is she really not able to move? If they bought her a bowl and soap would she be able to wash herself?

They should be changing the bed or giving you sheets to do it. If she's able to at least shuffle and adjust her position then no she shouldn't need to suffer the indignity of being checked for bed sores.

Ultimately OP they'll be busy and may have overlooked how poorly she is. Rather than complaining on MN why don't you just ask them?

As a patient or parent of a patient, it is very hard to care in the moment about why things are so bad from patient point of view. Being left without water or in unclean sheets is all they care about.

I recently had over 2 weeks in hospital on truma and orthopedic wards. The standard of nursing and HCA care varied each shift change and each day. Ranged from the exceptional to down right unsafe. Too current to go into details.

Please don't be put off advocating for your daughter.

They don’t do this for children who have a parent with them, the assumption is the parent will help their child.

In adult nursing you’d get more help if needed.

Love a nurse bashing thread 🙄 im a nurse of twenty plus years and helped wash thousands of patients over the years.

I wouldn’t know how to change sheets for a bed bound person or change a t shirt for someone with a cannula in. If you have to roll an adult to change sheets isn’t that a 2 person job

And for posters saying it’s usually a parent’s responsibility to wash their child, OP’s daughter is 20 so will be on an adult’s ward, it’s not like she is a 4yo on a child’s ward.

Oh ffs, she is a very unwell patient in hospital. She’s not in a work meeting.

Is this because of lack of applicants or assessed as needing fewer staff?

There is a technique for changing sheets while the patient is in the bed - perhaps nurses are no longer taught it?

when you say bed bound do you mean literally unable to get out of bed to use the toilet? In which case are you having to help roll her onto a bedpan, wipe her bottom etc? What does she do overnight when I’m guessing you aren’t there? Or is she extremely weak but able to walk to the toilet? If the former and she is truly bed bound then it is clearly unacceptable. If she is able to transfer and toilet independently then it’s a bit more understandable, they may ask her if she has any concerns with her skin / wants to be checked for example. If you are concerned ask to speak with her nurse. Wishing your dd a speedy recovery.

They definitely are. It's just a 2 person job and a lot of the time they struggle to find a 2nd person who is free.

Having been in hospital recently, yes, they do. But only when you’re well enough. I was there 2-3 days before I was well enough to sit up and get out of bed. The HCAs were very helpful and they changed my bed then.

The reality is that they may perceive her as still too unwell if she’s not able to sit up much yet. They may also assume because of her age that you’re doing it.

Advocate for herself while ill with meningitis! Get real. Come on look it up! Best wishes to your daughter, I hope she makes a full recovery.

It’s like any job- you get amazing nurses and terrible nurses. I always try and stick up for nurses as my mum was one but I have witnessed terrible care when DH nearly died and was in hospital for a long time. But that doesn’t mean it’s normal. It m so sorry your dd is ill op. This must be a very stressful time for you and it doesn’t sound like she is getting the care from the hospital she deserves. Thank goodness you are with her.

The OP’s daughter is 20. She is an adult.

Because we’ve got to cut our wage bill
by 50%

Both my aged parents were left muddy & crusted in blood for a week recently in Chelsea & Westminster.

Distinctly whiffy too.

We had to send private HCA in to clean and feed them when family couldn’t get there. NHS staff loved it.