Comfort during the bed bath—A randomised crossover trial on the effect of washing without water versus water and soap in nursing students

Abstract

Aims and objectives To compare the washing without water method with the water and soap method regarding comfort perceptions of the bed bath. Background Bathing affects nurses’ and care recipients’ comfort. Bedridden care recipients can be bathed in bed with water and soap or with washing without water products. Little is known about the differences between these two bed bath methods regarding comfort perceptions among care recipients and nurses. Design Crossover randomised laboratory‐controlled trial, conducted from March 2018–November 2019, according to the CONSORT guidelines. Methods Nursing students were randomly allocated roles as a patient (who received both types of bed baths) or a nurse (who provided both types of bed baths). Also, the order in which the bed baths were received/provided was randomised. A total of 97 students were included in the analysis. Student patients filled out the Patient Evaluation of Emotional Comfort Experienced (PEECE) scale to measure emotional comfort and a single‐item question on physical comfort after each bed bath. Student nurses filled out the Physical Demands scale after each bed bath to measure their physical comfort perceptions. Results No differences were found between the two bed bathing methods regarding student patients’ emotional or physical comfort levels. Among student nurses, the washing without water method was less physically demanding than the water and soap method. Conclusions Taking into account time‐efficiency and physical comfort for nurses, washing without water seems to be a valuable alternative to water and soap from a care recipient comfort perspective, which should be assessed in a clinical setting in future research. Relevance to clinical practice The washing without water method is less physically demanding for nurses and takes less time. It does not have a detrimental effect on care recipients’ emotional and physical comfort. The trial is registered at http://www.trialregister.nl (ID = NL6787).

Minimum wiping pressure and number of wipes that can remove dirt during bed baths using disposable towels: a multi-study approach

“…Thus, nurses may wipe more due to potential perceptions that disposable wipes require more effort to remove dirt. Previous studies have also reported that some care recipients perceive that the use of cotton towels with water and soap more effectively removes dirt and makes them feel “really” cleaner than disposable wipes [ 7 , 29 , 44 ]. Therefore, we inferred that the nurses in this study had a similar perception, which was evident in their practice (i.e., NW).…”

“…Moreover, two systematic reviews have shown that disposable wipes are no less effective than cotton wipes in preventing skin lesions and removing bacteria in older adults [ 13 , 26 ]. Furthermore, disposable wipes have been shown to be a valuable alternative to cotton wipes in terms of comfort of the care recipients [ 29 ].…”

Physiological and psychological effectiveness of facial massage in women: A randomized crossover trial

“…The length of the washout period depends on the type of treatment; however, 1-2 weeks for single inoculations is suggested (Origasa, 2016). Previous studies on massage and nursing care have also indicated a 1-week washout period (Edwards et al, 2018;Groven et al, 2021;Miyoshi, 2019). The influence of the "carry-over effect" is expected to be eliminated during this period.…”

Meaning of hygiene care for patients as perceived by clinical nurses through an interactive care process: A grounded theory approach

“…Maintaining physical cleanliness, grooming, and protecting the skin are basic human needs (Henderson, 1966). Hygiene care, including bathing, showering, partial bathing, and bed bathing, are part of the nursing care provided to patients who cannot meet these needs on their own (Groven et al, 2021). The aging population and increasing number of chronic diseases in today's society are creating increasing demand for high-quality fundamental care (Feo & Kitson, 2016).…”

“…Conventional research on nurses' perceptions of hygiene care has mainly explored their satisfaction during hygiene care, time required, financial costs, and their physical comfort using quantitative indices (Groven et al, 2021; Larson et al, 2004; Matsumura & Fukai, 2018; Schoonhoven et al, 2015). Recently, a systematic review was conducted with the aim of qualitatively integrating nurses' and patients' perceptions and experiences in fundamental care, including hygiene care (Pentecost et al, 2019).…”