Bed Bathing: Steps (Nursing)

00:04 Now before we get started, don't forget your hand hygiene and make sure you provide privacy and explain this to the patient.

00:11 Now, this is a great time to go ahead and warm up some water and fill the basin.

00:16 Now, we can put on our gloves.

00:18 Now it's important, once we fill that water, make sure that its appropriate temp for your patient.

00:24 We want to raise that bed to appropriate working height.

00:27 Now we want to position the client onto their back and remove any top linens and client clothing.

00:33 Now this is where the bath blanket's going to come in really handy.

00:37 Most of the time, if we remove the top linens, we're going to put the bath blanket over the patient, this is going to provide maximum privacy while we wash underneath and provide the bed bath.

00:49 So provide privacy, again, like we talked about, with that bath blankets and really just place it in the main areas as much as the patient's body as you can.

00:58 Now, we can wet our wash cloth and apply soap if needed.

01:02 Now, if we're going to start with their eyes though, however, try to get the washcloth wet without any soap because this is a great time to wash each eye.

01:11 Now, when you wash each eye, make sure you use a clean part of the washcloth.

01:16 Now we can apply that skin cleanser of their choice and we can wash the client's face, their ears and their neck here.

01:25 Now we want to rinse thoroughly and dry as well.

01:28 Always important to remember, after we wash, make sure we pat dry thoroughly.

01:33 This is important not to leave excess moisture on the patient's skin.

01:37 Now, one thing to note.

01:38 If a patient can, please promote as much independence as possible, especially in the face, arm, and neck, something like that.

01:46 Let the patient do for themselves if they're able to do so.

01:51 Now is a good time and just think about head to toe kind of like a nursing assessment.

01:56 So we started with the head, now we can move down the client's body.

02:00 So now we can wash the client's - the client's chest and their underarms.

02:05 Now we want to make sure we rinse this area thoroughly and then we want to make sure we pat dry.

02:10 Now, once we've done that, we can go from the arms to the hands and to the shoulders, wash that thoroughly as well.

02:17 We also want to make sure we pat dry and rinse here as well.

02:21 And, again, this is a great time to maybe give a patient a washcloth and let them wash around their hands off if they're able.

02:27 Sometimes though, the patient needs assistance.

02:31 Now that we've washed the upper half of the patient's body, now we're going to move to their midsection.

02:36 So this is a great point to move to the abdomen and the patient's groin.

02:40 So again, even though we're in the midsection, we want to use a bath blanket and wash underneath that, so we can provide maximum privacy for our patient.

02:49 Now, once we washed the client's abdomen and their groin, then we want to rinse and dry that thoroughly.

02:55 Now once we're done with the midsection, we can again make sure that bath blanket is covering the whole top half of the patient, meaning their chest, their abdomen and their groin.

03:06 And we're going to expose our legs at this point.

03:08 Now is the great time to wash the client's legs from top of the thighs all the way down to the feet.

03:15 Now, it's important here again, to rinse and dry thoroughly.

03:19 Now, that we finished with the anterior or the frontside of the bed bath, now let's move to the back.

03:25 Now, again, don't forget to cover your client and provide privacy and warmth with that bed blanket.

03:32 Now is a great time to change the basin water.

03:34 Now this is really important, if you remember, the temperature of the water, you don't want a scalding hot or really cold, so make sure it's comfortable for your client.

03:43 Now is a great time to remove gloves, perform hand hygiene and put on new gloves if need be.

03:49 So now let's take a minute to talk about the gloves situation with the bed bath.

03:54 Now, typically, if you put on gloves to bed bathe the patient when you start, that's perfectly okay.

03:59 Now, unless the patient's had an incontinent episode, sometimes, you may not see nurses to change out the gloves, but I do highly recommend, if the patient is soiled such as had an incontinent urine or a bowel episode, you definitely want to change out basin water, also put on new gloves, so just keep that in mind.

04:20 However, sometimes, we're just cleaning up the patient, helping with the daily bed bath.

04:25 Therefore, you may not see nurses change gloves throughout, so just keep this in mind.

04:30 Now once we've don our new gloves, we're going to roll the client to their side and roll the bath blanket to expose only the backside or the posterior side of the client.

04:41 Now it's a great idea to put a towel underneath the client.

04:44 Sometimes that water can get all over their sheets and so that's there to catch that.

04:49 Now is a great time to use a new wash cloth, wash the client's back, their buttocks, and then their anal region.

04:56 And again, if their groin or their anal region is soiled, you definitely want to change out water and you also want to put on new gloves after cleaning this region, because we don't want to use dirty water on other parts of the patient.

05:09 Now make sure you thoroughly dry all areas that you've just washed.

05:14 Now that we've washed the back side, we can change the basin water again if need be.

05:19 Put on new gloves and we want to make sure we use a new wash cloth to clean the patient's genitalia.

05:25 Make sure that you're using a clean section of the wash cloth in and for each downward stroke, when you're cleaning the patient.

05:33 Make sure you thoroughly dry here, and this is the same for male and female.

05:37 There's a lot of excoriation meaning a lot of redness and chafing if excess moisture is left on the patient's skin, so important, definitely here, to make sure you dry well.

05:48 Now at this point, we can remove our gloves, perform our hand hygiene.

05:52 Now, if you want to apply moisturizer and you're able to do so, it's a good idea here to change out your gloves because your gloves may be wet.

06:01 So apply the new once and put moisturizer to the patient's skin.

06:05 Now we could remove our gloves, perform hand hygiene.

06:09 We can apply new gloves and then we can put on fresh clean linen for our patient.

06:14 Just think, every time you get out of a shower, you want fresh linen on, same thing here.

06:19 Now if you've gotten the old clients bed linen, this is probably wet or soiled, it's a great time to remake the clients' bed for them.

06:28 Now we can wash and comb the patients hair if need be, or if they prefer, and position the client to feel comfortable.

06:36 Now, don't forget, once the client's in the bed, make sure that bed's in the lowest position and those side rails are up before you leave the bed.

06:45 Now we can get rid of our supplies.

06:47 Emptying, clean, and disinfect that bath basin for future use.

06:51 Now, once we've changed out the bed, you've got wet and soiled and old linen in there, make sure you take it out of the room and put it in the designated area.

07:00 Now, once we've done this, we can remove our gloves, perform our hygiene and document the procedure.