Student Nurse with a poop problem

[Grrrse]

Ok, please don't laugh or deride me, but I'm wrapping up my first semester in an accelerated second degree BSN program. I've had four clinical days so far and in our program we fly solo from day one with one instructor for every 8 students backing us up if we have questions. On my fourth day working with patients, I had to walk out when another student asked for an assist cleaning up her patient who had a huge watery BM that was up his back, down his legs, up between his thighs and all over his genitals. I had just completely my third bedpan/clean up on my assigned patient, and the smell of my co-students patient was just too much. I turned green, nearly vomitted and walked out and found another student to help her. I knew poop was going to be a part of nursing and nursing school prior to starting this, but I didn't think the smell would kick my ass like it did on Wednesday. Does it get easier to deal with? It's not the sight, idea, or concept of cleaning it up, I don't feel gross, dirty or shameful like some people have said on this forum after cleaning up a patient. The smell just kicks my ass after a while. The three bedpans earlier that day were a cake walk, but something about this one was just too much. I need some advice and pointers. Thanks!

[JustKeepSmiling, ADN, BSN, RN]

What I do sometimes is put on 2 masks with a mint teabag in between.

GENIUS LEVEL!! 👃🙊😂😂😂

[JustKeepSmiling, ADN, BSN, RN]

You can totally get past this.

I hate hate hate checking peg residuals. The smell, the warmth, the color. YUCK.

I put on small gloves then medium. I do the residual thing, give my meds, then take off the medium gloves. Voila, smalls still on! Then I clean up the supplies, rinse, etc.

Then remove smalls, scrub a dub dub.

Maybe try that too? That way after first nasty clean up is over you still have clean ones underneath to finish the bedroll to clean side etc.

[barcode120x, RN, NP]

The days when my GERD acted up, poop smells and BO would make me very gaggy/nearly to the point of throwing up. I've learned to chew some gum (mint if you're a student still since you really shouldn't/can't be chewing gum) and it pretty much washes everything away. Mint/gum + mask is even better.

[mattg]

Oh man. Reading this thread helped A LOT. I just recently got my CNA and I had clinical all last week. I was put on the dementia floor all week. The first day I was watching two CNAs give this resident a bed bath. Well everything was a-okay until they turned him over and I saw poop all over the soaker and bed. Instantly the room went from smelling like soap to feces. I gagged quite a bit and almost got sick. After my first day I was pretty confident that this isn't for me but I went back the second day and they left me alone and I had to change someones incontinence brief. Well I couldn't get it off, so I had a CNA come in and take it off, she took it off and threw it on the floor. Mind you, this wasn't a solid BM, it was diarrhea. Running down the residents leg and the hitting the floor. The fact that she actually threw it on the floor and I watched it splatter, was absolutely disgusting to me. I learned real quick that I better breathe through my mouth to get this resident cleaned up and changed. Long story short, the first day sucked, the second day wasn't terrible, the final day I loved it. I finally got to know the residents and they were awesome. What got me through it was I was helping someone who couldn't help themselves and it made me feel better, no matter how awful it smelled. I plan on becoming a FNP in the future, but for now when I start nursing school and work as one, this information will hopefully help for my bedside nursing career.

[SouthpawRN]

An N95 mask (the fitted ones) for airborne isolation will block out pretty much all odors, definitely worth keeping one handy for such events. Used to use them when I was a medic.

[NurseLife88, ADN, RN]

I spent my weekend wading in the overflowing diapers of a c diff baby. The stench has since lifted from my nostrils after a good scrubbing out of my nares. It gets better:) You may never get used to it but it gets easier.

[Guest849204]

You're not alone! Being repulsed at the smell of fecal matter and other revolting odors is a hardwired evolutionary defense against noxious chemicals and poisons. That said, you do "get used to it" in a way. It will never smell good, but just like we all get desensitized to our own fecal odors, nurses eventually get used to other people's as well.