Educating nurses to care for the incontinent patient.

Urinary incontinence among nursing home patients is a very common problem. Until quite recently, incontinence was believed to be impossible or unnecessary to treat except through the use of absorbent pads and diapers. The cost of this type of management to the facility in terms of laundry, labor, and supplies, as well as to patients' well-being, is very high. Recent data suggest that at least some incontinent nursing home patients can benefit from treatment programs that can be taught to the nurse's aide staff and that, at the very least, will reduce laundry and supply costs. The significance of an improvement in patient morale or a decrease in the incidence of complications resulting from incontinence has yet to be assessed, but should be considered. In addition, even a partially successful treatment program may be helpful to the nurses caring for these patients as the nurses' sense of hopelessness and frustration about managing incontinent patients may be reduced. Finally, an active treatment program for continence, instituted by nurses, advances the nursing care of these patients from custodial nursing care to therapeutic nursing care.