CNA Training
With patients constantly wearing socks or slippers, it may seem like skipping washing your patients feet might not be a big deal. As a CNA training graduate, you will be expected to wash your patients feet daily. You will do this for two reasons: to clean the patients feet to ensure that germs and bacteria are not living there and to keep an eye out for cut or scrapes that could get infected.
CNA Training: Patient Foot Care
1) Your safety is very important after CNA training. You should always start by washing your hands and putting on gloves like you CNA training taught you. Gather all of your supplies before you enter the patient’s room to ensure you do not forget anything.
2) As you enter the room, give your patient a friendly greeting, like you learned to do in CNA training. Tell the patient who you are and why you are there. A simple, “Hello Mr. Jones. It’s Rita. I am here to wash your feet today.” Before you start anything, you will want to lay a towel on the ground where the patient’s feet will be. Their feet can not touch the ground at any time. Then get out all of your supplies and move the patient into position.
3) When you fill up the basin with water, you will test it to make sure it is warm but not hot. Like you learned in CNA training, ask the patient to test the water with their hands. “Mr. Jones, can you feel this and let me know if the water is ok?” If it fine, proceed by placing the basin on the floor and removing the patient’s socks or slippers. Once you can see the patient’s bare foot, check every part for red spots, sores, cuts, or scrapes. Once you have ensured that the foot has no sore spots, soak the patient’s foot for about 5 minutes. While the patients foot is soaking talk with your patient.
4) When the five minutes is up, your CNA training taught you to remove the patient’s foot from the water, wet a wash cloth, apply soap to the wash cloth and wash all parts of the patient’s foot. Wash every part especially in between the toes. Remember to support the patients foot so that it does not touch the ground.
5) Once the foot has been completely washed, place the patients foot back into the basin and rinse away all of the soap.
6) Take the patient’s foot out of the water and place it in a towel. Dry every part of the foot gently. Your CNA training explained to pay close attention around the toes. Use the corners of the towel to dry around each toe so the patient doesn’t get a fungal infection. Remember to talk to your patient and ask if everything is ok.
7) Now that the patient’s foot is completely dry, you are going to put lotion on their foot. Like your CNA training taught you, you will apply the lotion to your hands, rub your hands together to warm up the lotion, and apply it to the patient’s foot. Do NOT apply lotion in between the patient’s toes. This will leave moisture there and leave the patient susceptible to fungal infections.
8) Gentle remove any excess lotion with the towel. The patient is now ready to have their socks or slippers put back on.
9) Now that the patient’s foot is completely clean, you will need to wash, dry and store your items properly. Follow all the steps from your CNA training.
10) The last thing you should do is remove your gloves and thoroughly wash your hands, just like you learned in CNA training. You should scrub your hands for at least a minute to ensure they are free of germs.
Proper Foot Care is Essential for Patients After CNA Training
Washing a patient’s feet not only prevents infections but is also a good way to keep track of other problems. Patients who are diabetic or have poor circulation will often have problems with their feet. A CNA training graduate can spot and prevent foot problems by providing daily proper foot care after CNA training.
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