A Pre-nursing Student who believes...

Nursing Students Pre-Nursing

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... that she will NEVER have to clean, feces, vomit, urine, blood, etc.! Here's what happened: So, today I was chatting with one of my fellow pre-nursing students while at school. I do not know this girl very well, in fact it was only the second time we spoke as we have no classes together. Today we strike up a conversation and I got a little bit of a squeamish vibe from her -- so I asked her "Have you given any thought to the fact that you will be cleaning bodily fluids, etc. and how do you feel about that?" She replied with this: "As an RN I will NEVER have to do that! That is what CNAs are for." So, I tried to explain to her that as far as I know and IMO EVERY RN has to do that at one time or another. She refuses to believe this and is convinced that I am wrong. Well, to all the nurses out there -- is there such a thing as a 'bodily fluid free' existence in nursing? I, personally, do NOT believe this and have already prepared myself (as much as one can w/o the actual experience) for having to do such things. Thoughts anyone??

This actually makes me giggle. I wonder what she imagines will happen when she has a 250 lb man in a halo who is incontinent with c diff and brain damage? Does she really imagine that "her" tech will be able to keep it all neat and tidy without any assistance? LOL!! Or two patients who need bed pans or emesis basins at the same time. Or one patient who needs wound care, for that matter. Oh gosh. Let's not forget teaching ostomy care... Boy, the list goes on and on, doesn't it? That being said, though, there are some RNs out there who are blatantly callous about letting patients lay in their own feces until a tech is available. Hope I don't get stuck working with her!!

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Specializes in NICU/Subacute/MDS.

Just let her find out on her own, you don't need to rub in. Some people have to stay in denial until they get over their squeamishness!

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Specializes in L&D.

Riiiighhht. Tell her to try accounting! :barf01: :barf01:

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

She has to get through nursing school first and if she makes it through, then she has to find one of those jobs where you don't have to work beside and a new grad with no experience is a long shot plus, with the economy the way it is, most likley the first job would be bedside in a LTC where you are exposed to phelm (my personal favorite:barf01:) spit, vomit, and blood, plus the smell of wounds and trachs. My last shift there was a student working and he walked into the room to asses the patient and he ended up with projectile vomit all over him, (lesson learned that day - always have a change of scrubs :lol2:)

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This is why every nursing student needs to work as a CNA before they apply to nursing school. Then they would really know what being an RN really involves! What ever happened to this requirement? No wonder so many bimbos are going into nursing!

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My thoughts..

Let her discover it on her own.

Yeah, but....Couldn't she at least have a chuckle as she walks away to let her discover it on her own????

:lol2::yeah::lol2:

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This is why every nursing student needs to work as a CNA before they apply to nursing school. Then they would really know what being an RN really involves! What ever happened to this requirement? No wonder so many bimbos are going into nursing!

Thank you for that! :yeah: I WISH that was a requirement for acceptance into a nursing program. Then maybe they could weed out some of people who arent really cut out for it and the rest of us wouldnt have to wait a million years to get into the program!

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Well, she's going to be entertaining in clinicals, if she gets that far :)

I recall a student in my pre-nursing classes who said she was going the RN route instead of LPN because she couldn't see herself boosting patients, carrying anything heavy, cleaning up messes, etc. She was under the impression that the RNs were the ones who sat around directing the rest of the staff on what to do. Not quite sure where she got that idea, since she had never worked in healthcare before.

Anyway, changing her mind wasn't happening, but that didn't matter: she didn't make it TO clinicals, let alone THROUGH them.

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Specializes in Med-surg, ER, agency, rehab, oc health..

I know I was mortified of an incontinent patient when I started nursing school.... But you live and learn and find out that its not as bad as it seems..... When I got my first child I was more afraid of changing his diaper then of cleaning up a little ol lady lol.

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I hear things like that and just smile.

I would file statements like "When I am a nurse..." under the same category as "When I am a parent..." or "When I grow up..."

Life teaches us that things will be way different than we expected.

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Specializes in FNP.

I had a nursing student a few years ago who refused to clean a patient who had been incontinent of stool. I tried to fail her for it, and the school wouldn't allow it. They overrode me and gave her a "B," and that Virginia, is why I am not longer teaching nursing.

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I had a similar situation, sort of. At the beginning of my nursing program, I had a peer who was very intelligent... always did very, very well in class. I was talking with her and a couple others one day at lunch about what our "dream" jobs would be. I finally got the hint that, "hmm... I don't think she has had any time in any nursing settings" So I asked her if she had any experience - CNA, externship or even shadowing. It was definitely a negative. I left it at that - no funny faces, no "are you serious" or any of that. At least she was definitely interesting to watch in clinicals :)

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