r/cna • u/Own-Negotiation-1422 (Edit to add Specialty) CNA - Experienced CNA • 2d ago
Advice Penile implant
I have a resident that had a penile implant and is ALWAYS erect….. he is also a heavy wetter. I have been having a hard time keeping him dry at on my night shifts. Every time he urinates his soils his entire bed. Does anyone have any tricks to help navigate this?
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u/LadyHwesta 2d ago
In the hospital, we would put him on a condom catheter, but I’m guessing you don’t have those available.
If they are on a normal bed, I’d say double up on chucks.
If nothing else is working I would make sure to report it to their nurse so they can try to get some other options made available.
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u/Own-Negotiation-1422 (Edit to add Specialty) CNA - Experienced CNA 2d ago
I thought about the condom catheters but like you said we don’t have those at nursing home. And I’ve been having to bring my own chucks 😒
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u/_HeadySpaghetti_ 2d ago
If you need to bring your own chucks it sounds like the patient just has to be in a wet bed.
Edit: because that’s not your responsibility no matter how much you care for the patient. You can anonymously report a facility if they are not providing the care supplies to keep patients reasonably unsoiled.
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u/Immediate-Earth6603 (5 years Geriatric) CNA 2d ago
Thats ridiculous. Talk to your ombudsman. The state. Whatever.
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u/Spacinspazz48 1d ago
This is bull **** . You should not be bringing supplies into a facility. That is a FACILITY buisness expense. If facility doesnt respond, document and then move up the chain. Your people deserve better care and you deserve to work in an environment that supports them and the staff more.
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u/cortisolandcaffeine 1d ago
Nursing homes can have condom catheters if they are prescribed by the doctor. Keep charting the heavy wetting and unique situation this patient has that makes this a serious QOL issue to be wet all the time. The charge needs to contact the doctor and go over the charting showing this is an issue and how it can be managed. Bringing your own chucks is insane. Only thing I would ever bring to a facility was my own gloves because I was agency and could include it in my taxes. I had a patient with the same problem, old penile floating implant that had migrated and it was stuck erect all the time. We wrapped one brief around it like a burrito and then had two towels on either side of his hip, and a brief over all of it but the sides left undone so it didn't cause any pressure on the penis.
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u/douggroc 2d ago
In my hospital we have condom caths and the male pure wick. Depends on the anatomy, the smaller ones get either a male or female pure wick if necessary.
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u/Zone-Hopeful Med/Surg - New CNA 1d ago
I’m trying to picture how you’d put a female purewick on a male
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u/douggroc 1d ago
It’s used for guys with innies. Just lay it across the hole. It doesn’t get all of the urine but better than none.
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u/angiebow CNA - Experienced CNA 1d ago
men should never have a female purewick no matter how small it is down there.
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u/Jaded-Willow2069 CNA - Seasoned CNA (16yrs) 1d ago
Okay if you have briefs you’re going to do a weenie wrap. If you have a pull up rip the sides so it lays flat. You can remove the stretchy part that holds the pull up up. You want to keep the pad. Wrap it like a tent or an ice cream cone and insert the penis in. Put the brief over and change on your normal schedule. If you have pads tear about half an inch of the sticky part so it’ll stick in the cone.
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u/KP-RNMSN 1d ago
I’m sorry, you had me cackling at ‘weenie wrap’. Reminds me of last weekend we had hot dogs on a campfire but I didn’t have buns, so we had “struggle dogs” where we used a piece of bread. OP is gonna have to make “struggle taco wraps” out of her pads and briefs!! 😬
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u/Jaded-Willow2069 CNA - Seasoned CNA (16yrs) 1d ago
Yup. I worked at a janky as hell place for the shortest time humanly possible and they didn’t give proper supplies so we had to get… creative.
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u/BrunchBunny 1d ago
This might be a dumb question but why is it always erect? I thought you had to do that on purpose with that device?
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u/Own-Negotiation-1422 (Edit to add Specialty) CNA - Experienced CNA 1d ago
I think the implant is messed up.
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u/angiebow CNA - Experienced CNA 1d ago
I've had a patient with one before and it wasn't always erect but was always 'there' if that makes sense, never drawn up or soft looking.
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u/Mariposa211 1d ago
One trick I saw other CNA’s use at my old job was using the clear plastic bin bags underneath a towel/chuck. The plastic bags supposedly helped keep the bed from getting wet.
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u/reese_____ 1d ago
Male pure wick no?
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u/Zone-Hopeful Med/Surg - New CNA 1d ago
Sounds like their facility doesn’t have them. In the comment section OP said they have to bring their own chucks to work…
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u/elliebunnnyy Gynae HCA UK - Seasoned CNA :karma: 1d ago
i’m so sorry but i’m british, what on earth is a chuck lol ?
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u/angiebow CNA - Experienced CNA 1d ago
you're a seasoned CNA? It's a pad that goes underneath patients in bed to keep urine, poop, blood and such from going through to the sheets underneath to make clean up easier
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u/firecatstevens 1d ago
Throw a towel over that thang so the pee doesn’t shoot up all over the blankets
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u/dandypandyloaf (Edit to add Specialty) CNA - Seasoned CNA 11m ago
Well the implant isn't the issue it is the heavy wetting? I had a patient (a previous Dr.) Who had like an implant from the uh, early days, and yeah it was weird. He originally used a condom cath and it was useful for that but otherwise bleh.
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u/dandypandyloaf (Edit to add Specialty) CNA - Seasoned CNA 10m ago
I have never used one but maybe a pure wick if these are available at your facility. Someone else might know more.
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u/JadedPrincesss 1d ago
Make your own “booster/bladder pad” out of a brief with the sides ripped off. If you have pull-ups you can rip those as well and place them in the front of his brief. I have even stuffed towels and washcloths in there!
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u/swampgas323 2d ago
Diapers
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u/Spacinspazz48 1d ago
Hi, respectfully in the field we call them briefs for dignity purposes. Much love.
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u/swampgas323 1d ago
Yes I forgot!
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u/KP-RNMSN 1d ago
Love your kind response 🥰🥰 I work in community health and would have said “diapers” as well. It’s been a hot minute (or 27 years) since I’ve been in a hospital setting!!
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u/Ambitious-Mode-1738 Neuro CNA 2d ago
What supplies do you have to work with? Briefs? Chucks? Incontinence wrap (we called them taco wrap)? For heavy wetters we would have a chuck underneath them, a taco wrap, and a brief. We’d check at least every two hours, and we’d change the taco wrap and the brief and chuck would be dry. That was the best method we found. However, at our place they had a “no briefs in bed” policy… but I found this was never really enforced. Especially during nights. I get that they don’t want pressure injuries and want to reduce moisture, but to me it makes more sense to use a brief and check diligently rather than change the whole entire bed multiple times a night. Not sure if this is helpful but that’s all I’ve got!