A Pre-nursing Student who believes...

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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??

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

She is not going to be popular at clinicals. I work with nurses with BSNs and they still wipe poop.If you find it, you clean it. You don't go and find someone to do it for you.She is in for a shock.

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Specializes in Surgical Trauma ICU.

There are several non-bedside positions that do not involve bodily fluids.

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There are several non-bedside positions that do not involve bodily fluids.

But, unfortunately nursing school is not one of those positions. :lol2:

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There are several non-bedside positions that do not involve bodily fluids.

I forgot to mention -- she plans to work bedside; at least that is her plan as of now.

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Specializes in ICU Surgical Trauma.

But most new grads start in the clinical setting before they can get a job outside of bedside nursing...am I right ?

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Specializes in Acute Care, Rehab, Palliative.

Hmmm bedside but not actually touch a patient?

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Hmmm bedside but not actually touch a patient?

I believe what this student meant was not touch or deal with what one might consider the 'icky' stuff! :)

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Specializes in Surgical Trauma ICU.

You should focus on finding a job post graduation and not on some silly student in your class.

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You should focus on finding a job post graduation and not on some silly student in your class.

I am hardly focused on her. My post was just to gather other peoples' opinion... as this is a forum. :)

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Specializes in LTC, med/surg, hospice.

My thoughts..

Let her discover it on her own.

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Wow! I've actually met a couple of those people, and I tell them straight up, that if they are not willing to deal with the "icky" stuff.. don't be in nursing. It's unavoidable. Yes, there are RN desk jobs out there, but really, in order to get those RN desk jobs, you should have some experience first. As an LPN I constantly get spit on, pooped on, I mean, it's expected. You deal with those things all the time that it just becomes second nature. Those things will end up not bothering you at all. And just for her fyi .. CNA stands for Certified Nursing Assistant.. as in they are there to assist her, not just to wipe butts, or do things that she doesn't want to do. Yes, most of their jobs consist of cleaning up after people, but as a nurse you have to remember that they have more patients than you. If they are with another patient, and your patient just vomited all over, are you really going to leave them wet and dirty until the CNA has time to clean them up?

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