Effects of Using Bathing Gloves on Healthcare Recipients and Caregivers

The effects of cleansing healthcare recipients using a new bathing technique were studied in a group of 6,534 healthcare recipients from 90 healthcare facilities in the Netherlands using a pre-post study design. This cleansing method provides a full and comfortable body wash with pre-heated bathing gloves impregnated with a special cleansing liquid and skin softening lotion. There is no need to use water, washcloths, washbasins, soap, or towels. The research questions of this study explored the efficiency of their use and the effects on and experience of healthcare recipients and caregivers. Ergonomically, outcomes related to dynamic loads (repositioning tasks) and static loads (postural) were obtained. Data were collected over a period of 24 hours by means of validated surveys. The results showed improvements in the condition of healthcare recipients’ skin and their perception of the procedure. Caregivers experienced less physical load and more comfort. The results pointed to a reduction in the number of repositioning activities as opposed to the traditional bathing method with water, soap, washcloths, and towels. The reduction of postural load was also significant as less time was spent in ergonomically unsound postures. An increase in efficiency was found as a full body wash took an average 7.2 minutes less time than the traditional method. This bathing technique may provide additional preventive routes for reducing occupational exposure leading to musculoskeletal injury in nursing practice without compromising the quality of care.

Knibbe HJJ, Matz MW, Heitink DEBL

Keywords: patient bathing, ergonomic risk, nursing comfort, patient handling