False Expectations?

TopCat1234 · Mar 24, 2004

my mother always used to say that changing poopy diapers didn't smell bad when it was your own child,

i love my nephew to death, like he was my own. his diapers still stink. and i was so lucky to have changed three of his poopy diapers over the weekend! this is me afterwards --->:stone

topcat

mermette · Mar 24, 2004

I'm in my first med-surg clinical rotation. The first day was spent with a woman incontinent of bowel and I had to fight to stifle my gagging. Since then, I've had quite a few cleanings to do. Fortunately, I discovered the best secret ever - a dab of Vicks under your nose and you won't smell a thing! I have had a container of Vicks in my pocket (along with everything else I need to get through a shift) ever since!

Mithrah · Mar 24, 2004

I assisted a nurse by helping move her patient onto the commode. When he got up he had this huge swirl of poop! It was so large! Even the nurse commented on the size. The nurse emptied it, thankfully. If she would have asked me to, I would have gladly scraped it out of the container and flushed it....while holding my breath.

mauser · Mar 25, 2004

This makes me laugh. There was young man with a Spanish accent - I am not sure where he was from - in my A&P class. He had already started his clinicals. When the prof was handing back our first major test, he was not there. One of the students in his clinical group said he quit yesterday. Apparently he refused to "wipe bottoms." He stated, "nurses do not wipe bottoms." When asked who he thought does - he said, "aides."

We all got a chuckle - but really, it is sad that he came this far and had no clue what nurses do!

Maybe they should ask a question about poopy stuff in the admission interview???? :rotfl:

Brickman · Mar 25, 2004

This may sound crazy but during the first semester I was so afraid of doing something wrong the I welcomed a poopy bottom to clean. If I was cleaning up a patient then I knew what to do for the next few minutes and wasn't afraid of getting in trouble. Yes it stinks, but I feel so bad for the person lying in it that I don't have any trouble cleaning it up. By the time I became more confident in clinicals I was used to cleaning up patients.

**canoehead, BSN, RN** · Mar 25, 2004

I fully expect to wipe my fair share of bottoms my first year or so..

Babe, it'll be much longer than a year. :uhoh3:

missmercy · Mar 25, 2004

I started as an aide -- so I knew how "poopy thngs" worked. Fortunately, I started my illustrious career with a couple of fantastic LPNs who never left all the nasty stuff for us aides. There were no "little people" on that wing -- we all worked together and worked HARD to make sure our gang got the best care we ALL could provide!!

Yeah, it smells bad sometimes, but like the last post said... I feel so bad for the poor soul laying in it that I can overcome the smell and see the person. Really, that is what we nurses can and should do better than most people -- look past the smells, the blood, the disease processes and see the PERSON!! It makes doing the "poopy, yucky stuff" easier when you can see the person not just the body! Of course, ther eare those days when even that is REALLY hard to do -- but for the most part -- if you see WHO someone is, it can help get you through the nasties!

missmercy · Mar 25, 2004

Babe, it'll be much longer than a year.

No KIDDING!!!! I'm on 15 and counting!!! :rolleyes:

And it will probably never be my favorite part of nursing ( don't ya know) but it beats sitting with the aneurysm that is bleeding out and not being able to do a blasted thing, or having an abused aptient died because of their injuries and have to deal with the perp, or post mortum care on a kid who could have gone who knows where if it weren't for the OD, ........... there are things that STINK a whole lot worse ( in another way) than the "poopy stuff"! Sorry about the depressing list... but reality is poop is really not that bad in the big scope of things!! There are incredibly great things about nursing too -- bringing a baby into the world, watching your stroke rehab person WALK to their car, seeing your coma pt open their eyes, holding hadns with someone who is finally compfortable while they fall asleep.... AH! That's better!!!

wonderbee, BSN, RN · Mar 25, 2004

I'm sick of butts and nuts duty but as said earlier, you gotta do what you gotta do. I just took a job as a per diem tech on med/surg and I'm thinking of taking myself off my current schedule till summer when I can limit my exposure to this sort of demanding physical labor to just a day or two a week. It's not so much the BM's that get to me... its everything that goes with it. The lifting, pulling and log rolling and the bed changes that never end.

Yes, wear a gown. Many don't but I learned a lesson just a couple of days ago when my nice white uniform shirt was an apparent magnet for messy diarrhea stool. Not pretty and not appropriate to walk anywhere out of that room like that.

KattB · Mar 25, 2004

I liked the vicks idea!! I will get me some when the time comes. This is such a great place to come and find out all these things from everyone. It's great for someone who just doesnt' know what it will be like. I can't wait to go through all these things regardless of how gross, stinky, sad or whatever it is....Thanks everyone!!

KattB · Mar 25, 2004

Thanks Luv2beanurse! You defintely answered my questions!

CappucinoMama · Mar 25, 2004

i'm sick of butts and nuts duty but as said earlier, you gotta do what you gotta do.

baaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaa!! :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: rnkittykat..this one made my day...lol

i can remember several years ago when i worked with pmh (profoundly mentally handicapped) in special ed..plenty of poop cleaning of young adults (16 - 21) - male and female...i didn't think i would ever get used to it..but you do...especially when it's an every day occurrence..

you just put on your gloves and nike shoes and just "do it" and move to the next...lol