Are there any Oklahoma students on board?!

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I was wondering if anyone from Oklahoma is on this board, and if so, where you attend nursing school. :p

v

Originally posted by rstewart

Sooooooo ya don't wanna wipe butts and your understanding is that RNs ("sometimes but not usually") do so.

WRONG!!!!! At least in critical care units CNAs, Unlicensed providers, techs...whatever you wanna call them are rarely found. The patients in critical care are often unable to take care of such needs themselves. So RNs wipe PLENTY of butts. When you aren't wiping your patient's butts, you are helping your coworkers wipe their patient's butts as well because critical care patients have a lot of tubes etc which you don't wanna pull out and the patients are getting bigger and heavier by the day it seems.

rstewart,

I have a question. Do the nurses insert all the tubes into the patient or does the doctor do that? You know it's really weird, I'm not scared of needles, or blood, or guts, but wiping a buttcrack almost deterred me from being a nurse...LOL I was seriously giving thought to being a pharmacist, a radiologic tech, or ANYTHING that didn't involve a butt crack...LOL!

v

Specializes in Adolescent Psych, PICU.

I'm sure its something you just get used to (wiping butts that is) I hardly think its anything any nurse enjoys doing, just something you have to do. I wonder how you control the gag reflex though?

Marilyn

No, Wondering, the nurses do not place ALL the various tubes one might find in a patient. Some are typically placed by a staff nurse, others by a CRNA or Anesthesiologist, others by cardiologists, still others by surgeons, interventional radiologists...the list goes on and there is some overlap depending upon the time/setting where the need presents itself. The RN is often times called upon to remove many of the tubes placed by others.

And no, Marylyn wiping butts is not something any of us especially enjoy doing. My point was that in many settings RNs have to do it quite often rather than a sometime but not usually thing.

Everyone is an individual, so I can not say absolutely that you won't have a problem with this often necessary task. I am aware of a couple dietition friends who told me they originally were going to be nurses but changed their minds over just that issue. Still, most of us hardly think twice about it. Indeed, if this were the only kind of sh** nurses had to deal with on a frequent basis, I doubt that there would be a nursing shortage.

Since I do want to work in critical care, I already do know that I will have to wipe some butts. I too had second thoughts to doing nursing for this very reason. But there are so many other fields of nursing where you are not required to do this, so you do have choices. To be honest, this is the main reason I would like to work in a NICU because changing diapers in nothing to me since I have two toddlers (which I am trying to potty train, it's so hard!)

As far as summer school, if I get that tuition waiver scholarship, I'm still a little undecided exactly what I want to do. I was thinking that if I take Anatomy and Physiology separate then I still need to take Chemistry and have it all done (along with Micro) before the second year of nursing school, so I would have to go to summer school next year too, to finish Micro. I wasn't planning on going to summer school next year so I can get an extern job. This is all assuming I get in nursing school, so if I don't get in this fall I will have the time to finish those classes up. I'm just thinking of taking a couple of PE classes so I don't have to study all summer and it will help me with my weight loss goals.

Vonda- about the grant, did you apply for financial aid at all? But with the money you are already getting for school you may not qualify for any grants but maybe for some loans. It's always worth applying to see what you can get, you don't have to accept the loans they offer.

Originally posted by Cynthiann

Since I do want to work in critical care, I already do know that I will have to wipe some butts. I too had second thoughts to doing nursing for this very reason. But there are so many other fields of nursing where you are not required to do this, so you do have choices. To be honest, this is the main reason I would like to work in a NICU because changing diapers in nothing to me since I have two toddlers (which I am trying to potty train, it's so hard!)

Vonda- about the grant, did you apply for financial aid at all? But with the money you are already getting for school you may not qualify for any grants but maybe for some loans. It's always worth applying to see what you can get, you don't have to accept the loans they offer.

I'm glad to know I'm not the only one that reconsider the whole nursing thing because of butt wiping..lol. I just have such a week stomach. Last week my cat threw up, and I COULD NOT bring myself to clean it up, I called my hubby in to do it...lol! I'm sure eventually I will get over it, but it WON'T be easy.

Rstewart,

I agree with you, I'm sure if wiping bum's was the worst thing a nurse had to put up with there'd be NO shortage..lol I just can't imagine anything worse...lol. I've heard about all the drama doctors take nurses through, and I've heard they can be very disrespectful. :( I don't think I'd be able to do bedside nursing for too long. I would love to work as an NP of dermatology, or a CRNA. I do want some respect for sure, everyone does. Rstewart, tell us some of the pros and cons you've noticed as a nurse, please.

Cynthiann,

I haven't filed for financial aid because of my Army college fund. I guess it won't hurt to apply and see what I get!

v

Specializes in Adolescent Psych, PICU.

Ya that is one of the reasons I want to get my masters ASAP, I dont want to do bedside nursing for the rest of my life.

RStewert Id like for you to tell us more as well if you don't mind. If you had to do it all over again would you still be a nurse? Sometimes I read posts by RN who HATE there job and it does make me a bit scared about it all. But then again right now I am reading a book by Echo Heron who is a critial care RN and she loves it (you guys should read her books they are really good, you can get them at barnes and noble and online).

Marilyn

Originally posted by marilynmom

But then again right now I am reading a book by Echo Heron who is a critial care RN and she loves it (you guys should read her books they are really good, you can get them at barnes and noble and online).

Marilyn

Marilyn,

I finished reading Intensive Care about 4 weeks ago by Echo Heron. I know in that book she worked for a doctor that was a complete butthole while she was still a nursing student. It was an awesome book! I'm now reading Tending Lives by Echo Heron as well. I can ALWAYS find time to squeeze in good books..lol. I bought my books from Barnes and Nobles( I live down the street from the one on May by Quail Springs), but I was recommended to read those book by Allnurses members close to when I first joined!

v

Hmmmm... the pros and cons

I think the pros vary depending upon the area you choose. For a critical care nurse there is great satisfaction in knowing that you personally save lives. Sometimes it's dramatic like during a code; most times though it's knowing that what you said or did prevented needless suffering, complications, cost or a combination of the three. The more experience/knowledge base---the more you are able to contribute along those lines on a daily basis.

But nurses contribute to health care in so many other ways. The rehab nurse derives satisfaction from returning a patient to life activities, work etc when it may not have seemed possible. A hospice nurse may derive satisfaction from making possible a good death. In every setting nurses have the opportunity to help people on so many levels: not just physically, but mentally, spiritually etc. as well.

Now most people would say that another pro for nursing is job security---that you can work any city or state, at any time of the day or night, in many settings, and for as few or many hours as you want. That is, nursing can provide great flexibility. For the most part, that is true, but there have been exceptions in the not so distant past. For now, we are in an up cycle and the forecast looks like this shortage may be different/ more enduring than previous shortages.

Finally, nursing provides a good beginning salary for a 2-4 year educational investment.

As to the cons....you can find out about those by reading this and other nursing bulletin boards. Nursing is often stressful. It is often physically demanding and in some cases dangerous. You may miss many holidays, weekend events etc that others take for granted. Your compensation is usually not commensurate with your responsibilities and experience is not adequately rewarded. Pensions are often poor. People often attempt to blame nurses for matters which are beyong their control. You are exposed to every disease, body fluid etc. known to man and some which are unknown. I could go on........but just read the boards and you'll see why nursing is in the state it's in.

Specializes in Adolescent Psych, PICU.
Originally posted by Just_wondering

Marilyn,

I finished reading Intensive Care about 4 weeks ago by Echo Heron. I know in that book she worked for a doctor that was a complete butthole while she was still a nursing student. It was an awesome book! I'm now reading Tending Lives by Echo Heron as well. I can ALWAYS find time to squeeze in good books..lol. I bought my books from Barnes and Nobles( I live down the street from the one on May by Quail Springs), but I was recommended to read those book by Allnurses members close to when I first joined!

v

How cool! I had even heard of the author until I just happened to see the book. I am reading Intensive Care right now...lol I LOVE it! What other books/authors do you like to read? I like mystery as well (especially Patricia Cornwells older books, I really like forensic science). I used to work at the Barnes and Noble up where you live, I worked there as a supervisor when they first opened for about a year and a half. I loved it but the retail aspects of it get old. I can always find the time to read a good book too!

Marilyn

Specializes in Adolescent Psych, PICU.
Originally posted by rstewart

Hmmmm... the pros and cons

I think the pros vary depending upon the area you choose. For a critical care nurse there is great satisfaction in knowing that you personally save lives. Sometimes it's dramatic like during a code; most times though it's knowing that what you said or did prevented needless suffering, complications, cost or a combination of the three. The more experience/knowledge base---the more you are able to contribute along those lines on a daily basis.

Thanks so much for posting that and all the Qs you have answered for us. I really appreciate it. I think I am really interested in Forensic Nursing but I dont know how hard it is to get a job in that field?

Marilyn

Originally posted by marilynmom

How cool! I had even heard of the author until I just happened to see the book. I am reading Intensive Care right now...lol I LOVE it! What other books/authors do you like to read? I like mystery as well (especially Patricia Cornwells older books, I really like forensic science). I used to work at the Barnes and Noble up where you live, I worked there as a supervisor when they first opened for about a year and a half. I loved it but the retail aspects of it get old. I can always find the time to read a good book too!

Marilyn

It was hard for me to put Intensive Care down...lol. I cried several times while reading that book. She has a way of making everything come alive. I don't really have any favorite authors. I really love non-fiction books though. I read a really good one, kind of religious and inspirational by Rick Warren called the Purpose Driven Life. I LOVE that book. I also enjoy inspirational/motivational books and autobiographys. If there's something I want to know more about, I'll go buy a good book on the topic. I just bought two new ones for school: What Smart Students Know by Adam Robinson and Practical Alegbra A Self-Teaching Guide by Peter Selby & Steve Slavin. I've often said I'd love to work in a bookstore to keep up with what's out and new...lol, but I agree those retail hours are too much..lol.

Rstewart,

Thanks for answering those our questions and giving some insight into the world of nursing.

v

ps

Marilyn, I need to use your signature :chuckle

Originally posted by marilynmom

I'm sure its something you just get used to (wiping butts that is) I hardly think its anything any nurse enjoys doing, just something you have to do. I wonder how you control the gag reflex though?

Marilyn

Hey... I'm not an Okie, but I live next door in Arkansas...

Just wanted to let you and justwondering know that wiping butts isn't that big of a deal..... I work as a PCA and when I first started I was a lil freaked about doing it, but I look at it like this... If they could wipe their own butts Im pretty sure they would do so... Now as far as the gag reflex... That is sometimes hard... When I go clean out the bedpan or whatever, I will pull the bathroom door shut, and sometimes I do gag :imbar

I hope the thought of wiping butts doesn't scare you out of the field.. But I also hope you realize that you can't depend on aides and stuff all the time... We have a nurse who will be in a room with a pt that has dirtied themselves and she will leave the room and come get someone else (PCA) to clean them.... That is just lazy and WRONG....

But don't worry about it.. You get used to it.. :) good luck

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