Bathing

On the NCLEX, bathing items usually test delegation and technique sequence, not the act itself. Routine bathing can be delegated to a UAP, but the assessment findings stay with the RN — if a stem mentions a new wound, redness over a bony prominence, or an unstable client, the answer is the nurse who personally bathes and inspects. Watch the clean-to-dirty order: wash eyes inner-to-outer canthus with no soap and a fresh cloth section per eye, wash extremities distal-to-proximal (a circulation aid — but avoid firm strokes over a known DVT/clot), and do the perineal/genital area last, wiping front-to-back. A frequent right-answer trigger is using the bath to reposition and inspect the skin rather than treating it as a separate task.

Don’t confuse the terms: hygiene is the broad goal, bathing is the cleansing method, and grooming (hair, nails, shaving) is appearance care — items reward maximizing client independence, while keeping safety first. Classic trap: choosing a bath when comfort/pain control or warmth is the actual priority. Memory hook: bathe “top-down, clean-to-dirty, peri last.”