Do you get used to the nasty messes?

Nursing Students CNA/MA

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Specializes in None, but will very soon :).

I've been lurking around the site for awhile and I've read tons of posts from CNAs. I was just wondering, do you guys get used to cleaning up people? Or is it something that still gets to you? I have a 2 year old brother and change his diaper from time to time, but idk if it can compare to changing grown people diapers. Anyone have any horror stories?

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Specializes in geriatrics, dementia, ortho.

Yes, you'll get used to it very quickly, and the stuff that used to be bross won't be anymore. I actually just wrote a blog post about this, lol! The URL is above, listed as my nursing specialty. It's a list of the few things that still squick me out.

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Specializes in Med-Surg/DOU/Ortho/Onc/Rehab/ER/.

I was wondering the same exact thing...lol

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Specializes in Med-Surg/urology.
I've been lurking around the site for awhile and I've read tons of posts from CNAs. I was just wondering, do you guys get used to cleaning up people? Or is it something that still gets to you? I have a 2 year old brother and change his diaper from time to time, but idk if it can compare to changing grown people diapers. Anyone have any horror stories?

Tons. My most recent one involved my first day on a private duty case. He went to the bathroom(his wife said he could toilet himself just fine) & stayed in there an hour. Every ten minutes or so I would knock on the door & ask d if he needed any help. He kept saying no. The door was locked so I couldn't go in. Finally the last time I knock he lets me in & he was covered in loose BM: all over the floor, wall, trashcan, clothes..he even took his shoes & socks off & his feet were covered in it. And it was in their apartment so its not like I had all the nice cleaning supplies like @ the nursing home :( So it took me a long while but I got it cleaned up. After awhile you see so much poo it stops bothering you!

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Yep. Poop barely causes me to blink an eye anymore, nor does pee.

I used to be really squeamish about trachs, but the wing I usually work on has 12 kids with trachs on it, so I've now gotten used to them.

The one thing that still squicks me is the combination of poop and menstrual blood. I've only worked in peds for a few months, so I still haven't gotten used to that one yet! Eeeeek.

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Specializes in 6 yrs LTC, 1 yr MedSurg, Wound Care.

Yeah you get used to it.

When I first started, I HATED to hopper stuff out. Too much overspray...yuck. So I would distract myself and sing a song (quietly). It's hard to hear over the sprayer so I didn't look too crazy! Lol!

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Specializes in None, but will very soon :).

Oh my gosh :crying2: It sounds bad but I guess I will get used to it. Does it ever get on you?

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Oh my gosh :crying2: It sounds bad but I guess I will get used to it. Does it ever get on you?

LOLLLL. I guess I have to be honest with you here. I've had a resident dig in his poop and then grab my hair when I tried to clean him up. I've had an explosive "wet fart" shoot me in the chest while rolling a resident over to change them. I've had mucus from a trach from my chest to my hip after a resident had a particularly violent cough attack. I've been peed on. I've gotten bm on my glove and then on my skin. Etc, etc, etc.

I tell you this just because, you can be as careful as you want to, but at some point, you're likely going to have some kind of body fluid that doesn't belong to you get on you. It is gross, but that's when you just have to remind yourself why you are there - to take care of the resident/patient. All you can do is wash/disinfect yourself/your clothes the best you can and go on about your day. And believe me, you learn from those incidents! After the explosive poop, for example, I never roll a resident over without something nearby to shield myself, etc.

It won't be as bad as you expect. :)

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A CNA told me that she just carries some Vicks Vapo rub around in her pocket and when she encounters a stinky situation she just rubs it under her nose. To me I imagine that if the odor is strong enough it would be like you're smelling minty poo and probably make it worse!

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Specializes in None, but will very soon :).

Jeez, way to make it appealing. Haha. I work at a bookstore and tonight, no joke, someone had explosive diarrhea all over one of the bathroom stalls and I just kept thinking, "This is what my future holds..". I hope it's all more than just cleaning poop. I'm leaning towards being a PCT so I can do other work. I think the thought of something more than just feces and urine getting on my skin is what scares me though. Mucus and weird bodily secretions, etc.

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Of course it's more than just cleaning poop! It's taking care of someone who needs your help.

PCTs clean plenty of poop, too, btw. Some places, all a PCT is is a CNA with a different title. Others, you do the CNA work plus more. There is no area in nursing where you won't come in contact with body fluids on a regular basis.

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Specializes in None, but will very soon :).

I think having some experience with phlebotomy and ekgs would be more valuable and I was under the impression those were some of the things you can do as a pct. I know they are basically glorified aides. I also know everyone comes in contact with the poo. I just never really understood why no one ever talked about it. I see now though that you don't seem notice it which is really good to know.

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