Skill Checklists for Taylor's Clinical Nursing Skills: A Nursing Process Approach

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Copyright © 2011 by Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Skill Checklists for Taylor's Clinical Nursing Skills:

SKILL 7-1

Giving a Bed Bath (Continued)

Comments

13.Raise side rails.Fill basin with a sufficient amount of

comfortably warm water (110F to 115F). Add the skin

cleanser, if appropriate, according to manufacturer’s direc-

tions. Change as necessary throughout the bath. Lower

side rail closer to you when you return to the bedside to

begin the bath.

14. Put on gloves, if necessary. Fold the washcloth like a mitt
    on your hand so that there are no loose ends.


15. Lay a towel across patient’s chest and on top of bath
    blanket.
    16.With no cleanser on the washcloth, wipe one eye from
    the inner part of the eye, near the nose, to the outer part.
    Rinse or turn the cloth before washing the other eye.


16. Bathe patient’s face, neck, and ears. Apply appropriate
    emollient.


17. Expose patient’s far arm and place towel lengthwise under
    it. Using firm strokes, wash hand, arm, and axilla, lifting
    the arm as necessary to access axillary region. Rinse, if
    necessary, and dry. Apply appropriate emollient.


18. Place a folded towel on the bed next to the patient’s hand
    and put basin on it. Soak the patient’s hand in basin.
    Wash, rinse if necessary, and dry hand. Apply appropriate
    emollient.


19. Repeat Actions 18 and 19 for the arm nearer you. An
    option for the shorter nurse or one susceptible to back
    strain might be to bathe one side of the patient and move
    to the other side of the bed to complete the bath.


20. Spread a towel across patient’s chest. Lower bath blanket
    to patient’s umbilical area. Wash, rinse, if necessary, and
    dry chest. Keep chest covered with towel between the wash
    and rinse. Pay special attention to the folds of skin under
    the breasts.


21. Lower bath blanket to the perineal area. Place a towel over
    patient’s chest.


22. Wash, rinse, if necessary, and dry abdomen. Carefully
    inspect and clean umbilical area and any abdominal folds
    or creases.


23. Return bath blanket to original position and expose far
    leg. Place towel under far leg. Using firm strokes, wash,
    rinse, if necessary, and dry leg from ankle to knee and knee
    to groin. Apply appropriate emollient.

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