The effect of bed bath applied to palliative care patients on saturation, pain level and sleep quality

Title: The effect of bed bath applied to palliative care patients on saturation, pain level and sleep quality. Aim: The research was planned as a randomized experimental study with a pretest-posttest control group design to determine the effect of bed bath applied to palliative care patients on saturation, pain level and sleep quality. Material and Methods: The research was carried out between May 2023 and December 2023 with patients receiving treatment and care at Eskişehir Yunus Emre State Hospital Palliative Care Clinic and a total of 60 volunteer patients, including 30 study participants and 30 controls, who met the sample selection criteria. Individual Descriptive Characteristics Form, Edmonton Symptom Diagnosis Scale, Wong Baker Pain Scale, Richard Campbell Sleep Questionnaire, Oxygen Saturation Form were used to collect research data. The study group was given bed bath three times a week, every other day. The data obtained from the study were analyzed with descriptive statistical methods, Chi Square, Friedman, Mann Whitney U, Bonferroni Test, Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance. The study was registered with Clinical Trials.gov PRS (Protocol Registration and Results System) (Protocol number: NCT06055426). Results: The oxygen saturation-increasing effect of bed bath occurred after the second bath application. The day when the positive effect on pain and sleep was seen was after the first bed bath. After the first bed bath application, a decrease in the patients' pain levels and an increase in their total sleep score and sleep quality were observed. This positive effect continued after other bed bath applications and was found to be statistically significant. Conclusion: In this study, the study group was given bed bath three times a week. As a result of the study, it was concluded that bed bath has the effect of increasing oxygen saturation, reducing pain and improving sleep quality in palliative care patients. Keywords: Palliative care, bed bath, saturation, pain level, sleep quality, nursing care.